Poster campaign in German outdoor pool 'causes public outcry'

A controversial poster in a swimming pool in Büren, North Rhine-Westphalia depicts a red-haired woman touching a dark-skinned boy with a prosthetic leg. It aims to address sexual violence, reading "Stop! Grabbing forbidden," with a turtle character encouraging children to seek help if uncomfortable.

The intention is to raise awareness, but many social media users criticize the portrayal, arguing it misrepresents reality and trivializes the issue. This discussion follows rising reports of sexual assaults at public swimming pools. According to the Federal Criminal Police Office, there were 423 recorded incidents last year with an 81% clearance rate.

The reality: Several times a week, German outdoor pools make headlines because migrant mobs commit sexual offenses or mass brawls. Most recently, the abuse scandal at the Gelnhausen (Hesse) outdoor pool. There, four Syrian men between the ages of 18 and 28 groped several underage girls between the ages of 11 and 16 all over their bodies.

Mayor Christian Litzinger cited "high temperatures" as the cause of the sexual harassment of children by a Syrian gang. This scandalous explanation distracted from the fact that it is primarily testosterone-driven adolescents and young men from Arab-Muslim countries who are making Germany's swimming pools unsafe.

Update: The outdoor pool in Büren has taken down the poster showing a white woman groping a black boy with a prosthetic leg. The mayor of the town had previously apologised for this.