Cologne mayor Henriette Reker , left, and the head of Cologne鈥檚 police, Wolfgang Albers, attend a news conference in Cologne, western Germany, Tuesday Jan. 5, 2016. The mayor of Cologne condemned a series of sexual assaults in the western German city on New Year鈥檚 Eve, calling Tuesday for the perpetrators to be 鈥減rosecuted in the toughest possible way.鈥� Police say dozens of women reported being sexually assaulted and robbed around Cologne鈥檚 main train station, next to the city鈥檚 famous cathedral, during the night from Thursday to Friday. At least 90 criminal complaints have been filed, including one allegation of rape. dpa via AP
BERLIN, Germany鈥擥erman leaders expressed shock over dozens of apparently coordinated sexual assaults against women on New Year鈥檚 Eve in the western city of Cologne blamed on 鈥淎rab-looking men,鈥� but warned against anti-migrant scapegoating.
Chancellor Angela Merkel called for a thorough investigation of the 鈥渞epugnant鈥� attacks, ranging from groping to at least one reported rape, allegedly committed in a large crowd of revellers during year-end festivities outside the city鈥檚 main train station and its famed Gothic cathedral.
Merkel鈥檚 spokesman Steffen Seibert said she had called Cologne鈥檚 mayor, Henriette Reker, to express her 鈥渙utrage鈥� over the violence, which she said required 鈥渁 tough response from the state.鈥�
鈥淓verything must be done to find as many of the perpetrators as possible as quickly as possible and bring them to justice, regardless of their origin or background,鈥� Seibert quoted Merkel as saying.
Police in Cologne said they had received 90 criminal complaints by Tuesday and quoted witnesses as saying that groups of 20-30 young men 鈥渨ho appeared to be of Arab or North African origin鈥� had surrounded victims, assaulted them and in several cases robbed them.
Germany took in around one million asylum seekers in 2015, many of them fleeing war-ravaged Syria.
READ: Germany says no plans to limit Syrians鈥� asylum rights
A plain-clothes policewoman was reportedly among those attacked.
鈥淲e assume more people will come forward,鈥� police chief Wolfgang Albers told reporters.
The northern port city of Hamburg also reported around 10 similar attacks.
On Tuesday evening 200-300 people, according to police estimates, gathered in front of Cologne cathedral calling for more respect for women.
One female demonstrator held a sign reading: 鈥淢rs. Merkel, what are you doing? This is scary.鈥�
Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere lashed out at Cologne police for failing to stop the assaults.
鈥淭he police cannot work in this way,鈥� de Maiziere told public TV channel ARD.
Police said they evacuated the area because of fears people could be injured by fireworks鈥攁nd admitted the assaults then began without them realising what was happening.鈥�
鈥淚t is not acceptable that the square could be evacuated and then (the attacks) take place鈥� in the same location, with officers 鈥渨aiting for complaints鈥� from victims before taking action, de Maiziere said.
鈥淚 am urgently demanding clarification.鈥�
鈥楨xploitation鈥� of refugee issue
Justice Minister Heiko Maas said the assaults represented 鈥渁 new dimension of crime that we will have to get to grips with,鈥� adding that they had appeared to be 鈥渃oordinated.鈥�
Asked by a journalist whether refugees were behind the rampage, Maas said police were still working to identify the attackers.
鈥淭his is not about where someone is from but what they did,鈥� he said.
鈥淢aking an issue out of it, lumping it together with the refugee issue, is nothing but exploitation. Now is the time to determine the facts and then decide on the necessary consequences.鈥�
Meanwhile the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party, which hopes to gain seats in three regional elections in March, seized on the attacks as 鈥渁 result of unchecked immigration.鈥�
鈥淗ere we see the appalling consequences of catastrophic asylum and migration policies on Germany鈥檚 everyday reality,鈥� party leader Frauke Petry said.
The Cologne daily Koelner Stadt-Anzeiger said many of the suspects were already known to police due to a rash of pickpocketing and muggings near the railway station.
鈥業t was terrible鈥�
Victims described terrifying scenes in the marauding mob.
Katja L., 28, said she was with three friends outside the station when they encountered a group of 鈥渇oreign-looking men.鈥�
鈥淪uddenly I felt a hand on my bottom, then on my breasts, then I was groped everywhere,鈥� she told Cologne tabloid Express.
鈥淚t was horrible. Although we screamed and flailed about, the guys didn鈥檛 stop. I was beside myself and think that I was touched about 100 times across around 200 meters (yards).鈥�
A woman in her 30s interviewed on rolling news channel N24 said she was groped by a group of 鈥淎rab-looking men.鈥�
鈥淭hey didn鈥檛 look at me aggressively, they seemed more curious than anything, and a little drunk,鈥� she said.
鈥淚 was furious.鈥�
Reker, who was stabbed in the neck in October in an attack apparently over her welcoming stance toward refugees, called a crisis meeting with political officials and police Tuesday after the case made national headlines.
She pledged to step up security and violence-prevention measures ahead of next month鈥檚 raucous Cologne Carnival, which draws hundreds of thousands to party in the city鈥檚 streets.
Albers said security cameras and better lighting would be installed for the February 4-10 event, including around the main rail station.
Merkel in her televised New Year鈥檚 address called on Germans to continue to welcome refugees despite mounting criticism and to reject far-right ideologues whipping up anti-migrant sentiment.
READ: Determined Merkel tells Germans: refugee influx 鈥榓n opportunity鈥�