Germany: The Great Swimming Pool Controversy

Hat tip Gates of Vienna and Vlad Tepes

In the past few days, we translated an article from Germany reporting the alleged sexual assault of several girls by a group of Syrian men at a public pool in Gelnhausen, Germany. Germany seems to have a recurring problem of immigrant men, mostly from the Arab world or Afghanistan, sexually molesting girls (and occasionally boys) at public pools.

In response, the city of Bueren in Paderborn District (North Rhine-Westphalia) has come up with a brilliant idea. They have placed posters at their public pool warning of sexual abuse and advising victims to call for help with a secret code word-Tiki- the name of a cartoon turtle. But it isn't that which is causing an angry reaction. The posters portray a German woman in a pool groping the buttocks of a young brown-skinned male with a prosthetic leg!

You can't make this up. It's called political correctness.

I can understand the local authorities not wanting to inflame emotions or paint an entire ethnic/immigrant group with a wide brush. The German public fully understands the problem. Wouldn't it have been better just to omit any pictures altogether rather than insult the public's intelligence by drawing a false and misleading image? They might as well have blamed it on the turtles.

The below article from Bild is translated by Fousesquawk.

"Summer sun safety

You have the right to your own body!

Stop! Groping is forbidden!

Nobody can touch you without your permission.

If you feel uncomfortable, you have the right to get help.

Say my name: Tiki!"

On a poster is pictured a woman groping a boy with an amputated leg on the buttocks

This is how the city of Bueren warns about public swimming pool gropers

Caption: A woman grabs a young boy with dark skin and a prosthetic leg. With this poster, the city of Bueren tries to prevent sexual attacks in public pools.

-Photo: City of Bueren

Paderborn (Northwest Westphalia)- It has been 11 days since 8 girls in Gelnhausen were sexually harassed at a public swimming pool. The alleged perpetrators were 4 young men. All of them are reportedly from the same Syrian family.

In the city of Bueren in Paderborn District, there are several posters warning of sexual attacks. However, on one of them is a woman in a red bathing suit, who is the perpetrator. She is grabbing a dark-skinned boy from behind in the pool. Above this drawing, a speech bubble says: "Stop! Groping is forbidden!"

The "Summer sun safety" campaign is to protect children in public swimming pools. From sexual assault. It is now even generating international concern. 

Drawing causes indignation

Critics accuse the city of trivializing the perpetrators and drawing a completely false picture of sexual assaults. The presentation is unrealistic and obscures who most of the perpetrators actually are.

The fact is: Nationwide, the Federal Criminal Police (BKA) recorded 423 criminal acts last year against sexual self-determination in indoor and outdoor pools as well as bathing areas. According to the reports, the (case) clearance rate was around 81%.

It was reported that of the 367 investigated suspects, 365 were male. The number of German suspects, according to the BKA, was 130, while that of the non-German suspects was 237. That corresponds to a proportion of around 64.58 %.

Caption: The public swimming pool in Bueren: The controversial posters were hanging here.

(Second poster)

"Summer sun safety

You have the right to privacy

Stop! Please knock!

Be considerate when you are in a changing room

If you feel uncomfortable, you have the right to ask for help.

Say my name.

Tiki!"

These posters caused indignation

Photo: City of Bueren

When Bild visited the public pool on Thursday, the posters had disappeared.

Mayor defends campaign

Bueren's mayor, Burkhard Schwuchow (Christian Democrat party), stands behind the action: "As a city, we bear the responsibility when it comes to the protection of children in our public facilities. The protection of children and young people is, for us, the highest priority.  Every form of sexual violence is unacceptable and must be consistently fought, no matter who does it."

Rainer Windt (68), head of the German Police Union, told Bild: "This campaign has only one winner, the AfD (Alternatif fuer Deutschland party). There are many losers here: Women and children. Their bad situation is being made fun of." 

Hesse (state) Europe Minister, Manfred Pentz (45, CDU) criticises in Bild" This can only be a bad joke! Right after the incidents we have experienced, this presentation is a mockery of those affected. What doesn't fit into their worldview cannot be (allowed)! Simply incomprehensible."

City reacts to criticism

So how did this presentation come about?  In a statement, the city explains: "The city administration takes the public criticism of individual design elements of the Summer-sun-safety campaign very seriously. This feedback is for the city administration an occasion for self-critical reflection. That also includes for us to evaluate our communication formats and make them more sensitive and differentiated in the future."

Mayor Schwuchow: "It was never our intention to discriminate against people or redirect blame. If this impression resulted, we would like to apologize."

Criticism from the USA

Meanwhile, the debate has (drawn) international attention. The right/conservative activist, Charlie Kirk, a supporter and close confidant of President Donald Trump, on X: "The German government has posted a PSA warning in which white women are groping defenseless immigrants, who for some reason, have prosthetic legs."

How many assaults have there actually been in the Bueren Public Swimming Pool, the city will not say in answer to Bild's question. Anyway, with the code word "Tiki"-the name of a turtle- children can alert the (pool) personnel in an emergency. Why they don't simply yell, "Help," remains unclear.