Girls accuse men of harassment in asylum center; Refugees: Dutch slow to respond

The COA transferred three men from the emergency asylum shelter in Utrecht to another shelter after a number of Syrian girls accused them of harassment. The Syrian girls were sexually harassed by a group of men from Iran and Afghanistan on at least two occasions over the past few days, Syrian refugees told newspaper AD, adding that the Dutch authorities are slow to respond. "Tuesday it was a 13 year old girl", one Syrian said to the newspaper. Another refugee added that the men in question are drunk and high and that he and some friends are now escorting the girls to and from the bathrooms to protect them. "We complained to the manager of the shelter, but nothing happens", a young Syrian man added. "We do not want to come across as complainers, but we can't accept the young women being harassed." A spokesperson for the police confirmed that officers responded to the shelter on Amerikalaan on Monday after reports of a fight, but no one was arrested.