The shame of Cologne

Did you also see the news? One of the main themes was that more than 90 women have filed charges because they were 'touched everywhere' in the neighborhood of the main railway station of Cologne, by more than thousand men 'with north-African or Arabian looks'. Fugitives? Nobody wants to say so, but if so, what a terrible blame for Angela Merkel!

Incidents like these will only fuel the distrust lots of people have against fugitives. In my neigborhood, I know that most don't want fugitives around, but you can't just say so. So they keep quiet.

Author Katja Schneidt posted a message on Facebook, which has been shared more than 160,000 times. She blames the government for keeping quiet about the incidents - not only in Cologne, but also in Hamburg and Berlin. The police did nothing on the New Year's Eve and as today they haven't picked up any suspects. "Where are the media now?" the author asks. "Where is Bild? Where is the TV? Nowhere! Now they don't show up, now they don't say anything;"

Katja doesn't want to keep silent. She is against violence - any kind, by anyone - against women.

I can totally agree with her. I only allow myself to be touched when and by whom I want. No man can touch me without permisson without getting hurt. I've also been 'met' by groups of young North-Africans when I returned home late in the evening and had to take a train. But I always show my hand full of keys, and when someone dares to come nose to nose with me, I kindly ask where they liked to take a punch. And I've also found that a metal-pointed umbrella can be of use as well....