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Entrance to the Agrippabad in Cologne
Photo: Henning Kaiser / dpa
Serious suspicion: On Sunday evening, a 13-year-old girl turned to a lifeguard of the Cologne Agrippa bath and reported that she had been sexually abused by several men. The lifeguard alerted the police, who, according to their own statements, moved out with seven patrol cars and identified suspects at the exit of the swimming pool.
A witness is said to have observed the incident. The 13-year-old was heard in the presence of her parents, said a police spokesman.
Main suspect is 16 years old
According to initial findings, eight men between the ages of 16 and 26 are said to have surrounded the girl in the outdoor pool of the swimming pool, harassed her, thrown her up and then sexually abused her. According to the police, the girl managed to free herself from the situation and inform the lifeguard.
One of the suspects, a 16-year-old Iraqi living in Cologne, is said to have grabbed the girl's bikini bottoms during the incident. The minor is considered the main suspect – sexual abuse or serious sexual abuse are possible criminal offences.
Police ask witnesses to come forward
The other suspects are registered in Cologne, in the Rhein-Sieg district, in the Rhein-Erft district, in the Rheinisch-Bergischer district and in Bonn. According to police, three of them are 21, one 22, another 26 years old. Three of the suspects are 16 years old. Three of them have Turkish citizenship and four have Syrian citizenship. All of them were identified by the identification service. After that, they were released.
A spokesman for the KölnBäder said that the incident could be confirmed. "Our employees have been approached and have reacted calmly," he said. Since it was an ongoing procedure, one could not and did not want to comment further on it.
The police have taken up the investigation and ask bathers who have observed the alleged crime to report to the Criminal Investigation Department 12.
ala/dpa