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Görlitzer Park: Several men are said to have raped a 27-year-old

Photo: Schöning / IMAGO

An alleged gang rape in Görlitzer Park is an opportunity for CDU politician Burkard Dregger to plead for video surveillance of the park in Berlin-Kreuzberg. "It's finally time for us to break new political ground in Berlin. The coalition of CDU and SPD has also agreed on this," Dregger told the dpa news agency. In the coalition agreement, we stipulated that video surveillance may be introduced in the so-called crime-ridden places. The Görlitzer Park is one of them," said the domestic policy expert of the CDU parliamentary group in the House of Representatives.

Literally, the coalition agreement states: "The coalition introduces video protection in crime-ridden places on an ad hoc basis in order to better protect citizens." The »Tagesspiegel« interprets this statement as »not quite as clear« as Dregger says. » This does not say anything about permanent video surveillance," the newspaper said.

"It's a horrific event"

Several men allegedly raped a 21-year-old woman in front of her boyfriend on June 27. He is said to have been injured. In addition, both had been robbed, according to the investigators. A suspect has since been arrested, according to police and prosecutors. Investigations against other suspects are ongoing. "It is a horrific event that reminds us that security, law and order have not been part of the agenda in Görlitzer Park for years," said Dregger.

If video reconnaissance is used wisely at Görlitzer Park as a drug transshipment point, considerable investigative tactical successes could be achieved there, Dregger said. "It will lead to a complete change in the park." The drug trade will certainly be partially suppressed, but the park will take on a different character.

"We are already in the process of working on the legal basis for authorizing the police," said Dregger. "It's not a small task, but we're working on it. I believe that the necessary consultations will take some time. You have to see that we have been discussing it in Berlin for years," said the domestic policy spokesman for the CDU parliamentary group. For the first time, a political majority had formed that had spoken out in favour of it in the coalition agreement.

The formulation requires careful work. "I am very optimistic that we will finally come to a change in the direction of reason," said Dregger. "It is a historic opportunity for Berlin to finally be able to do what has long been taken for granted in other federal states." In view of the crime in the city, this is absolutely necessary.

Help for the victims called for

Meanwhile, Dregger's party colleague Timur Husein demanded, for example, that the park be closed at night and that a "Görli police station" be built.

Interior Senator Iris Spranger (SPD) had said according to the "Tagesspiegel" on Thursday to the act: "Safe parks must be a matter of course in Berlin. But this is not yet the case. Every crime is one too many." In the coalition agreement, the black-red coalition agreed to improve police work in crime-ridden places. Accordingly, she did not address the issue of video surveillance.

Green Party politician Gollaleh Ahmadi wrote on X – the former Twitter – that those affected must be "provided with all the help they need quickly and unbureaucratically". And further: "In addition, I call on the state government to take short-term measures to ensure safety in public spaces for women as well."

bbr/dpa