BR finds no evidence of surge in Wiesn sexual assaults

A viral social media video claims rapes have surged during this year’s Oktoberfest, but police and clinics report no evidence of an exceptional increase, BR reports.

In the video, nutrition doctor Luisa Werner says colleagues in gynaecology have told her that rapes are happening “very frequently” during the day and night, including at weekends. BR’s survey of four large city-centre hospitals found no signs of an unusual rise in women seeking help. The LMU, which operates the largest hospital near the festival, said forensic examinations for suspected sexual offences are spread fairly evenly throughout the year, with no peak during Oktoberfest.

Munich police recorded 32 sexual offences in the first eight days of the festival, a figure similar to previous years, according to Sven Müller, a spokesperson for the Oktoberfest police station. Most involved sexual harassment; a few were cases of upskirting, or taking pictures under women’s skirts. Police said they had no indication that the festival was especially unsafe for women this year.

The figures do not include unreported offences. Kristina Gottlöber, a director of the Safe Space, a support centre for women at the festival, said some women do not go to police because of shame. The centre has received 30 women seeking help for sexual violence so far this year, compared with 18 over the same period last year. Gottlöber said she did not believe more offences were necessarily taking place, but that more women and girls were coming forward for support. Visitors to the centre are not required to file an official report.

The Association of Munich Gynaecologists also told BR it could not verify claims of a sharp rise in sexual offences linked to Oktoberfest, including after consulting colleagues in Munich and the surrounding area.