Cologne Police Consider Helicopters and ‘Women Retreats’ to Fight Migrant Sex Attacks

After more than 1,000 women were mugged, sexually assaulted, and raped by migrants last New Year’s Eve, the city of Cologne is considering using helicopters, registering all newcomers, and setting up “women retreats” to keep females safe this year.

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They also suggest extra “police horses, helicopters, and elevated observation positions” to control the mobs and revellers this year, and much-expanded use of surveillance including “vigorously documenting video surveillance and sufficient light sources”.

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During the 2015/16 New Year’s Eve celebrations in Cologne city centre, hundreds of sexual assaults (including groping and at least five rapes) were reported.

Witnesses described the attackers as “North African or Arab origin”. It later emerged that most suspects came from Algeria, Morocco, or Iraq, that many were claiming asylum in Germany, and 70 per cent of had been in the country for less than a year.

Local media later apologised for ‘covering up’ and initially failing to report on the attacks. Leaked documents and e-mails showed the police were also under pressure to keep quiet about the migrant attacks.