Sexual attacks in the Gelnhauser outdoor pool: Mayor expresses itself

Sexual attacks in the Gelnhauser outdoor pool: Mayor expresses itself

In the Barbarossa outdoor pool in Gelnhausen, June 26, 2025 occurred on a terrifying incident: Four Syrian men are said to have sexually harassed several girls whose age is between 11 and 17. The bathers noticed the behavior and informed the staff about the attacks shortly after 5 p.m. In the meantime, a total of nine girls have registered with the police after five affected people were recognized.

The suspects are between 18 and 28 years old. At first, three of the men were arrested while another fled. The personal details of four young men are noted in the investigative files and a house ban was given. As Mayor Christian Litzinger (CDU) explained, it is the first incident of this kind in Barbarossabad. Previously, in 2024 there were only four house bans that were due to other offenses such as theft and mild bodily harm, but not to sexual assault.

reactions and security measures

Mayor Litzinger emphasizes the extraordinary circumstances in hot days when the minds "sometimes lie bare". In an interview, he expressed that the staff of the outdoor pool was trained in order to recognize and act such attacks. In the future, additional city police officers will also be used to improve security in the outdoor pool. Nils Tischer, the head of the Barbarossabad, emphasized the importance of indications in attacks, especially during phases with high visitor volume.

The police are currently continuing the investigation, and the officials ask for information from witnesses. According to the information from Tagesschau, the perpetrators were identified on site, but the investigation continues. This is a worrying signal at a time when according to Statista the number of criminal offenses in swimming pools in various federal states is documented.

The incidents in Gelnhausen indicate the need for increased sensitization measures to ensure the feeling of security of visitors in leisure and swimming pools. At high temperatures, people are often in groups and could be confronted with such inappropriate behaviors as was tragically the case in Gelnhausen. While those responsible are now reacting, it remains to be seen what the further development of the security concepts in the outdoor pools will look like.