Women Immediately go away under pressure

Immediate leaving the situation is most important
After the numerous serious sexual assaults on women on New Year's Eve, the subject of violence against women is omnipresent. But what is the best way to behave in such situations? In an interview with the news agency "dpa", Andreas Mayer, head of police crime prevention at the federal and state levels in Stuttgart, explains how women can protect themselves in a threatening situation from their attackers.

Best not to be traveling alone at a late hour
Anyone who is harassed as a woman by a man or even a group of men usually feels completely helpless and at the mercy of others. There is uncertainty about how to behave in the threatening situation, which often leads to panic and despair. Ideally, women should therefore fundamentally try to avoid such situations, e.g. great distance is kept to groups of mobbing and possibly drunk men, says Andreas Mayer. In addition, it helps to be on the road especially at night and in the evenings, because "the group protects," explains the expert.

If women are bothered in public, they should avoid the situation as quickly as possible and report later, if necessary. (Image: JackF / fotolia.com)

The perpetrators do not duzen
If there is still a threatening situation, according to Andreas Mayer, the most important thing is to leave them as soon as possible, as the woman tries to go away and go to a safe place. A discussion with the perpetrators, however, should be avoided in any case, as it was advisable not to provoke them. If escaping is not easily possible, the best way is to shout aloud for help and alert others to the problem. Often it makes sense to address witnesses directly, e.g. "Calling you in the red jacket, please call the police," advises the expert. The woman should never approach the perpetrators with "you" but with "you", because that would also make it clear to outsiders, "[...] that this is not a private situation," explains Andreas Mayer.

Fight as hard as possible
Witnesses to such an attack should not hesitate and immediately alert the police under the number 110. This applies in any situation in which a woman is harassed by a man, even if the perpetrator (yet) was not physically violent. According to Mayer, if the attackers do not let go, they have to defend themselves as forcefully as possible: "Kick, hit, scratch, bite - the main thing is that the offender leaves you alone." Once that's done, it's time to run away as fast as possible to get to safety. On the other hand, supposed self-defense aids such as pepper sprays have no real effect, on the contrary, there is the danger of even injuring themselves in use.

If possible, take photos or videos
It is advantageous if the victim can remember the perpetrators as well as possible, because "abnormalities or, for example, tattoos are very helpful later in the investigation," says Mayer. If the situation permits, it could also make sense for witnesses or even the victims themselves to take photos or videos with their mobile phones, because in some cases the perpetrators would be deterred. In addition, the material help later in the investigation. (No)