Germany: 15-Year-Old Syrian Allegedly Raped 12-Year-Old Girl at Public Pool

In Germany, authorities are facing pressure over a case that was not made public until three weeks after the initial incident. It involves a 15-year-old Syrian who is under investigation for allegedly raping a 12-year-old girl in the changing room of a public swimming pool in the city of Braunschweig.

The incident happened at the Wasserwelt (Water World) swimming pool and came to light thanks to the reporting of the Braunschweiger Zeitung, which received a tip from a reader. Police argue that due to the age of those involved, they were reluctant to go public with the details of the case.

When the paper reached out to police, they referred reporters to the public prosecutor’s office, which handled press inquiries. Now, a spokesperson for the office, Christian Wolters, has confirmed there is an ongoing investigation into the alleged rape.

The incident occurred on Aug. 10, at 5:00 p.m., with the victim severely sexually assaulted. Although the 15-year-old Syrian suspect is a minor, reporting indicates that he can already be held criminally responsible for the crime.

“The further background, in particular the exact course of events, is the subject of the ongoing investigation. In particular, trace [DNA] comparisons are still pending. Even though the crime was three weeks ago, the investigation is still in the relatively early stages,“ explained the spokesman for the public prosecutor’s office.

The main charge is rape, with the specific charge relating to a “particularly degrading, sexual intercourse or sexual intercourse-like act“ on the victim, which assumes the child’s body was penetrated by the suspect.

Reporting indicates the crime is believed to have begun in the pool.

“The girl is said to have already been sexually harassed by the suspect in the water,” said Wolters.

However, the rape allegedly occurred in the changing room of the pool, when the 15-year-old managed to get alone with his victim.

The prosecutor’s office is attempting to clarify whether the sexual contact between the two was consensual or not.

After the incident, the police reportedly only took the contact details of the alleged perpetrator’s details and then released him.

Wolters says no action has been taken against the teen so far, including detention. He said that prosecutors are still trying to clarify what actually happened; however, he acknowledged that the young person and the victim have not been questioned, despite the incident happening three weeks ago. He said these interviews must happen first.

Now, Tobias Groß, the managing director of Stadtbad Braunschweig Sport und Freizeit GmbH, which runs Wasserwelt, is speaking out.

He said on the day of the incident, employees immediately alerted police, who arrived “very quickly.”

However, the swimming operator still does not know the identity of the alleged perpetrator.

“Of course we will issue an indefinite ban on entering the premises as soon as we have the relevant data,” said Groß

He said that he is not aware of any comparable sexual assault allegations at the establishment during his time there.

Braunschweig has seen a sharp increase in sexual abuse cases involving young people in recent years; however, police do not go public with every case.

“We did not go public with the incident because of the age of everyone involved in the criminal proceedings. This was done in consultation with the clerk,” says police spokesman Lars Dehnert.