661 women reported sexual assault – only three men have been convicted

Thousands of people went to the traditional new year's celebrations around the cathedral, in the centre of Cologne to celebrate the new year 2016. But for many female nyårsfirare gave way to the festivities against a nightmare.

During the first days flooded in polisanmälningar, especially from women who described how they had been surrounded, sexually molested and robbed by groups of young men.

the German minister of justice: the Abuse of Cologne was planned.

a Total notified the 661 women victims of sexual harassment around the cathedral and the main railway station in Germany's fourth largest city. ”Women with or without company, was forced to live through a 'gauntlet' that is barely possible to describe”, was called it in the police secret report from the evening, which was later leaked to the media.

a Total notified sek 1,304 people that they are victims of a crime in connection with the city's new year celebration; in addition to sexual harassment, mainly robbery, theft and threats.

Demonstationer against sexism and racism in the wake of the events in Cologne on new year's eve. Photo: Juergen Schwarz

the abuse came to the attention of the public, prompting some to accuse the authorities and the media to have ”mörkat” events.

But when the evidence and the magnitude of the incident spread was the condemnation in total. Cologne was then the chief of police was fired because the police failed to maintain security for residents of the city. Chancellor Angela Merkel called the attacks ”abhorrent”. She demanded that ”the rule of law would respond with force” and that ”the guilty as quickly and fully as possible investigated and punished without regard to their background”.

Kölnbor looking for answers after the abuse,

Police in Cologne set up a special investigation team which was given the name new year, and which at times employed more than 100 police officers, as many as usually be deployed in connection with the terrorist attacks. From the Uk, brought experts that would help in the identification of the perpetrators caught on film by surveillance cameras.

But today, just over three years later, is the result of lean.

of sexual offences in connection with new year celebrations in the centre of Cologne, according to figures from the court Amstgericht in Cologne as DN. It means that less than one half of one percent of the cases reported on sexual offences has led to a conviction.

" It's a disappointing result. It is not possible to describe in any other way, " says court spokesperson Wolfgang Schorn to DN.

It is about a man from Libya who has been sentenced to one year and nine months ' imprisonment for two cases of sexual harassment of women and of having violated the German equivalent of the aliens act. The court appreciates that he is in the 25 - to 35-year-olds.

in Addition, a 21-year-old man from Iraq and a 26-year-old algerian, was sentenced to fines for sexual harassment and attempt to robbery. One man must have kissed the women and licked their faces against their will, while the other threatened them by shouting ”Give me the girls, give me the girls – otherwise death”, according to the magazine Der Spiegel who has taken the part of the judgment.

right-wing groups gathered for demonstrations with xenophobic slogans. Photo: Oliver Berg

Erik Helmerson: Clearly we dare to talk about Cologne

a Total of 290 people been investigated for the offence in connection with the new year celebrations in Cologne, and of them, 52 people were charged. They are between the ages of 16 to 50 years, with an emphasis on the early 20s.

" We had more than a thousand notifications, and in the end has only just over 50 people were charged. Very few have been convicted of sexual crimes, who was it that defined the new year's eve in Cologne. It is sickening, " says Wolfgang Schorn.

According to the court will the defendants in particular from Algeria (17), Morocco (16) and Iraq (7). Above all, allegations of theft, personrån and receiving stolen goods. In very few cases as regards crimes of sexual violence have a suspected perpetrator identified.

It was dark out and very many people were on the site. Most of the abuse took place very quickly, and made that the victims had little opportunity to see the offender. It could be a hand that suddenly appeared out of the crowd without the victim saw the offender, " says Wolfgang Schorn.

One of the problems has been the poor quality of the images from the surveillance cameras around the station.

the Pictures have not been of any use when it comes to identifying individual faces. They were simply not in the right.

Instead, it is the perpetrators ' own images in some cases helped the police to get further in the investigation.

"In two of the cases of the perpetrators could be identified as they were taking a selfie of themselves and the victim," says Wolfgang Schorn.

" From a legal perspective, we can only say that we have done all that has been possible within the framework of the rule of law to clear up the crimes. But we can not convict someone whose guilt is not going to prove. It may be a weak consolation for these women, but we have done all we can.

So equip the German police to prevent the new massövergrepp on new year's