Germany is grappling with a dramatic rise in sexual violence on its trains, with foreigners—despite foreigners making up only 15% of the population—accounting for an astonishing 59% of sexual crimes at German train stations.
This surge in violence has coincided with the government’s push for public transportation as a “green” alternative to cars, even as the safety of commuters, especially women, deteriorates.
In Berlin, the Green Party has proposed “female-only” trains to tackle this crisis, but the real issue lies deeper in the country’s demographic changes over the last decade. Data shows a sharp increase in sexual offenses, with 1,125 incidents recorded in the first half of 2024 alone, a figure already approaching the total number of crimes in all of 2019. If current trends continue, sexual crimes on trains are on track to double in just five years.
Notably, police are struggling to identify perpetrators. In 2023, nearly a third of sexual crimes went unsolved, and 38% of cases in the first half of 2023 still had unknown suspects. As the situation worsens, even the federal police union is criticizing Interior Minister Nancy Faeser for not prioritizing security, especially for women, in favor of political battles. Heiko Teggatz, the union’s chairman, called out the minister, stating, “Women must be able to travel safely in Germany. The risk of becoming a victim continues to increase every month.”
The overrepresentation of foreigners in violent crimes extends beyond sexual offenses. Foreign suspects accounted for 46% of violent crimes in Germany, up from 28% a decade ago. The number of foreign suspects involved in violent acts at train stations has tripled in the past decade, with perpetrators primarily from Poland, Syria, Afghanistan, Turkey, and Ukraine.
While the migration crisis has undeniably fueled this surge in violence, the German government’s approach to crime statistics complicates the picture. Many foreign-born criminals are now counted as “Germans” after being granted citizenship, further skewing the data.
As sexual violence on trains becomes a daily threat, the migration crisis continues to cast a dark shadow over public transportation in Germany. From disturbing incidents involving migrants to staff being physically assaulted and too afraid to work, the once-functional rail system is now a battlefield. Authorities are even refraining from checking train tickets on individuals they believe are foreign, fearing assaults in response.
