A scandal at a Berlin youth center has escalated after a sworn affidavit alleged that staff failed to report serious sexual assault claims to police over concerns about “stigmatizing” Muslim suspects.
The affidavit, submitted to Senate and district authorities, was filed by employees of a neighboring facility who said they repeatedly urged staff at the Wutzkyallee youth center in Neukölln to contact police. According to the document, staff declined to act despite being told that a 16-year-old girl had been raped and that videos of the assaults were being used to blackmail her. A coordinator reportedly justified the decision by saying the “Muslim boys” involved were already known to police and that further reporting could contribute to their marginalization.
The girl was allegedly raped at the youth center in November and later sexually assaulted again by a group of up to eight teenage suspects. The affidavit also describes a wider pattern of misconduct over several months, including groping, unwanted physical contact, and girls being pulled onto boys’ laps.
According to the allegations, the suspects filmed the assaults and used the footage to blackmail the victim, including attempts to contact her younger sister.
The affidavit suggests that both the youth center and the local youth welfare office were aware of the incidents for weeks without informing police. Authorities only became involved after media reports brought the case to light.
Prosecutors have since launched an investigation into multiple suspects aged 15 to 19 and are examining whether staff may have breached their legal obligations by failing to report the alleged crimes. Neukölln youth councilor Sarah Nagel of the Left Party has denied any cover-up, saying the suspects’ background played no role in decision-making, although, according to BZ reporting, she had been informed of the situation weeks before action was taken. Calls for her resignation have since emerged, and a possible no-confidence vote is under discussion.
