Oktoberfest

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Harassment cases overshadow the Munich Oktoberfest(Bild: (c) Kzenon stock.adobe)

The results are alarming: three out of four waitresses are harassed at the Oktoberfest.

A 44-year-old company boss was arrested at the Oktoberfest after grabbing the buttocks of an 18-year-old female visitor. The young woman reacted immediately and informed the police, whereupon the man was taken to the Oktoberfest police station. He had to pay a 20,000 euro security deposit - a sum he will only get back if he is acquitted.

But this incident is just the tip of the iceberg. The number of sexual assaults at the Munich Oktoberfest is rising. A new study shows that three out of four waitresses are now regularly harassed. In the study, 76 percent of waitresses say that they have been victims of sexual assault during their work. The study was conducted by scientist Maren Schulze-Velmede, who herself worked at the world's largest public festival for many years. She was awarded the Volker-Letzner Science Prize 2024 for her research work.

Despite the alarming figures, only a few women report the assaults. Instead, many develop their own strategies to deal with the assaults. "Men's groups in particular often lose all inhibitions," warns Schulze-Velmede. Wiesnwirt host Christian Schottenhamel explains that the staff are sensitized and incidents are taken seriously. But the reality is that many victims, especially female visitors, remain silent out of shame or fear of the consequences.