Wednesday, November 13, 2024

Rape Prevention In Berlin

 Our Current Vehicle Fleet | S-Bahn Berlin GmbH

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The Greens, part of the "Taffic Light" coalition that runs the German government, are lobbying for a remedy to sexual assaults in the Faustian capital, according to this article from Apollo News:

" The Greens in the Berlin Senate are demanding that there should be special carriages on the subway and S-Bahn just for women to protect them from sexual assault. This is reported by BZ. Originally, separate carriages were to be set up not only for women, but also for non-binary and transgender people. But then it was decided to focus on women. The Greens' transport spokeswoman, Antje Kapek, defended the focus: "I support the focus on women. They are more frequently exposed to violence and therefore have a greater need for protection." Last year, 89 percent of victims of sexual crimes were women and 90 percent of perpetrators were men.

In Berlin, the proportion of sexual crimes on public transport has increased by 260 percent in the last ten years. In 2023, there were 391 crimes. The Greens' plan calls for carriages to be exclusively for women outside of rush hour. The carriages should be either "directly behind the driver," says Kapek, or "at the end of the train if there is a second driver, as in Tokyo." In addition, specially marked zones with emergency call boxes are to be set up, and there is to be video surveillance at the stations.

The measure is based on similar regulations in Japan's capital Tokyo. In Tokyo, there are women's carriages in the evening from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and in the morning until 10 a.m. In addition to women, only wheelchair users and boys up to a maximum age of 12 are allowed in the carriages. 

Maja Weihgold, head of communications at Berlin's public transport company BVG, says: "We are working hard to ensure that all passengers reach their destination safely and with a good feeling at all times." All BVG subways have emergency call buttons that connect them to the driver. There are already emergency call boxes at all stations that connect them to the BVG security center. A police officer who is in contact with police officers on patrol also works at the BVG security center.

The Greens' demand was triggered by a rape in February, as Bild reported. 33-year-old Mohsen K. raped a 63-year-old woman on the U3 line on the last train to Krumme Lanke. The crime occurred shortly after midnight. The Iranian, who came to Germany in 2016, was transferred to a clinic for schizophrenia, as BZ reported in July.

According to the Berliner Morgenpost, the general secretary of the Berlin FDP, Peter Langer, said : "Everyone must be able to move freely in Berlin. There must be no no-go areas." He continued: "Instead of creating extra carriages, all subway carriages must be accessible. Additional security personnel must be available on site, especially in the evenings and at night." Berlin's transport senator Ute Bonde (CDU) is also critical of the Greens' proposal. She referred to the existing security structure at subway and S-Bahn stations. The requested measure contradicts "my idea of ​​a society with equal rights, regardless of my gender."

Others point out that the increase in crimes of this nature in Germany is due to the unlimited immigration from the south and east of the country.

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