Dutch Justice Sec.: Cologne sex attackers "are not real men"

Speaking out about the mass sexual assaults on New Year’s Eve in Cologne, Germany, Dutch Justice secretary Klaas Dijkhoff said the suspected assailants are definitely “not real men,” he told broadcaster NOS. At least 121 complaints were filed by women said they were groped, had their clothing ripped off, or were victims of other sexually-oriented crimes in a central square in the German city, which lies about 70 kilometers east of the Dutch border. Police in Cologne have identified 31 suspects, of which 18 are seeking asylum, the German Interior Affairs ministry said on Friday. Another attack took place in Hamburg but was described as being on a smaller scale. Those seeking refuge in the Netherlands are given information about how to treat women, Dijkhoff noted. He plans to research if this needs improving. The attacks “are a backwards way of treating one another,” Dijkhoff said. However, he disagrees with anti-Islam political leader Geert Wilders, who believes more asylum seekers allowed in the Netherlands will lead to a rise in “sexual terrorism.” “A sexual assault can happen in the Netherlands, that’s right,” Dijkhoff said. “There are too many people who are not asylum seekers who are guilty of that.” An asylum seeker prosecuted for a sex crime will likely have a harder time getting legal residency in the Netherlands. “We make it clear to everyone that you are coming into our country, with our norms and values, and that we are not going to adapt for you. And, that you must have respect for those who think differently, for homosexuals, and for women,” Dijkhoff added. “Simply said: for everyone.”