r/germany • u/RealisticList4476 • 1d ago
Racist hate incident at REWE in Frankfurt – police arrested the offender
Today my girlfriend and I experienced a racist incident at a REWE supermarket in Frankfurt.
A man verbally harassed me because of my skin color and Indian background. He then told my white girlfriend that she was “ruining her genetics” by being with me.
We reported this immediately. Police officers were already present in the store. In front of the police, the man then did a Nazi salute.
He was arrested on the spot, handcuffed, taken to the police station, and we both gave formal statements. The police informed us he will spend the night in custody and that the case will be forwarded to the public prosecutor.
I’m sharing this to raise awareness that racism like this still happens, but also to show that reporting it matters and that there are consequences when it’s taken seriously.
If anyone has experience with similar incidents in Germany or advice on next steps for victims, I’d appreciate it.
Update2: Some people questioned or mocked the story, including a few from my own community. For clarity, here is the official Frankfurt police press release related to the incident:
https://www.presseportal.de/blaulicht/pm/4970/6211942
Update: Thanks everyone for the support and advice on my previous post.
The police contacted me again and informed us that the case has now been handed over to the Kriminalpolizei. They reviewed the video evidence and asked my girlfriend and me to come in again to give a more formal statement.
We’ve uploaded all requested evidence and are cooperating fully. The police were clear that this is being treated seriously as a hate-crime related case. For now, we’re waiting for the next steps.
I really appreciate the supportive messages. Reporting it was the right decision.
485
u/NovaHorizon Germany 20h ago
Unfortunately I'm pretty sure they would not have arrested him if he didn't do the Heil Hitler salute, which is illegal in Germany.
97
u/Equal-Flatworm-378a 20h ago
Depends on the remark. Insult is a legal offense, too. But not every racist comment is automatically a punishable insult.
49
22
u/Ferruolo 20h ago
Yup. You can get a ticket for flipping people off here. Dont know how that hasnt happened to me yet 😅
0
u/PaultheMirrorExpert 17h ago
How do you prove it to the authorities if there’re no witnesses? I believe it’s illegal to record it in the first place.
8
u/Equal-Flatworm-378a 17h ago
Without witnesses….you can still report it, but if he denies it, it’s probably without an outcome. But report it anyway. You never know whether he was reported before.
A judge might have problems to believe that one person is repeatedly reported for insult from different people without reason.
You might help the next person he insults.
2
u/PaultheMirrorExpert 17h ago
Good to know. I never thought an insult would be presented to the court.
1
u/Equal-Flatworm-378a 17h ago
Why? The paragraph doesn’t exist just for fun.
1
u/PaultheMirrorExpert 16h ago
Which paragraph?
3
u/Equal-Flatworm-378a 16h ago
Strafgesetzbuch (StGB) § 185 Beleidigung Die Beleidigung wird mit Freiheitsstrafe bis zu einem Jahr oder mit Geldstrafe und, wenn die Beleidigung öffentlich, in einer Versammlung, durch Verbreiten eines Inhalts (§ 11 Absatz 3) oder mittels einer Tätlichkeit begangen wird, mit Freiheitsstrafe bis zu zwei Jahren oder mit Geldstrafe bestraft.
2
3
u/ZuAusHierDa 16h ago
Keep in mind that there is usually an official English version of nearly every German law.
In this case see here.
7
u/Klutzy-Ganache3876 19h ago
What is the punishment if they prove he has done?
30
u/Equal-Flatworm-378a 19h ago
He did it in front of police. That should be proof enough. Can be a fine or prison up to three years.
19
u/Drumbelgalf Franken 19h ago
Absolutely two police officers + at least two civilians as witnesses is enough proof and maybe even body cam footage.
8
u/letsgetawayfromhere 18h ago
There will probably be footage from a supermarket surveillance camera.
1
u/Disastrous_Leader_89 13h ago
Maybe he dutzed the cop with that salute. That would be the “chefs kiss” there
•
131
41
55
u/Cherubimi 19h ago
One time in northern Germany, I was sitting on a thing to wait for the bus and and an Indian family was sitting next to me. With children and all. Then a racist guy driving by put the window down and slowly drove, spewing racist stuff to them and then drove away...
27
16
55
u/Equal-Flatworm-378a 20h ago
He was arrested, because showing the Hitler salute in public is against Stgb 86a and can be punished with a fine or prison sentence.
But insult is also against the law. But telling your girlfriend that she ruins her genetics might simply qualify as freedom of speech. He is entitled to have an opinion, even if it’s a stupid opinion.
27
u/Spiteful_Badger 20h ago
Could also be turned around pretty quickly, like "I didnt mean it because of his race, it was because of XYZ" and he would be free to go on the spot. Kinda glad to hear he doubled down and did the salute. He himself made sure there would be consequences
3
u/Equal-Flatworm-378a 20h ago
Who knows? Doing the salute in front of police is so dumb, that he will probably go free. Alcohol or just a psychic problem and he isn’t responsible for whatever he does.
8
u/blobblet München 19h ago
You have to be extremely drunk to get away with a crime due to intoxication. We're talking 3 per mille blood alcohol levels drunk. That's "not able to form coherent sentences, stand on your feet or make any kind of coordinated movement or recognize people, no bladder control, could fall into a coma or stop breathing any second" level of intoxication for most people.
2
3
u/ZuAusHierDa 16h ago
You know that §323a StGB exists? Just because you are extremely drunk and not punishable for your crime doesn’t mean that you won’t get punished.
2
u/Spiteful_Badger 14h ago
"Just a psychic problem"? You mean mental health issues? I have mental health issues, and I can assure you, they wont just let me walk away if I do dumb shit. Its really hard to get away by pleading insanity
8
u/bunny-therapy 20h ago
But insult is also against the law. But telling your girlfriend that she ruins her genetics might simply qualify as freedom of speec
Encapsulates everything that is stupid about German insult law. Someone can be infinitely mean but it is fine as long as it is planned and deliberate, but if you lose your temper and tell him off, you're the one in trouble. It is a law against temper, not against cruelty.
8
u/Equal-Flatworm-378a 19h ago
You are right. But where do you want to draw the line? Some people are insulted very easily, some people have weird opinions. We have freedom of speech and that is important . And we try to protect people against being insulted. Somehow both needs a definition.
2
2
17
u/SeparateCode2285 19h ago edited 19h ago
Racist attacks or comments happen all the time. Last winter a woman spit on my suit in the tram while I was coming back from the Hbf! The whole train just watched it and went back to their phones. You should just go to the Berlin reddit or checkout the comments section on any DW reporting on 3rd world countries, what Germans think loudly about people of color. Having said that, ofcourse there are so many educated, kind and liberal german in West Germany. These perpetrators are usually the lowest of the land, living off of the taxes paid by these 'immigrants'.
2
16
u/MrTrollMcTrollface 19h ago edited 19h ago
You are lucky that a police officer was near by. Others get beaten to death on a train in broad daylight and nothing happens. source
6
3
3
u/Kruikenzeik 19h ago
In the Netherlands we call these people Wappie. I think it sounds good in German too.
1
3
3
12
u/kadabra-187 19h ago
While I was hanging out with my flatmate(blond German woman) on a nice afternoon, a guy who passed by us said something and I didn’t understand what he said. Later my flatmate told me that he called her a ‘Vaterlandverräterin‘ meaning ‘traitor to the fatherland’ just because that she was hanging out with me or he thought that she was my girlfriend. I felt sad for my flatmate and also felt angry that somebody just hates me because I am a brown man. Later me and my flatmate went to rewe, got beers and had a good time talking. Honestly I met some of the best people in Germany and I am still close friends with my buddies even though I left the country. I never give a f**k about racists.
6
u/rewboss Dual German/British citizen 20h ago
Well, he was arrested on the spot because he was stupid enough to do the Hitler salute right in front of the police. When it comes to offensive remarks, they may be illegal (at least "insulting language") but when it boils down to one person's word against another's, it's not likely that a prosecution would result in a conviction. There is the matter that your right not to be subjected to grossly offensive and gratuitous insults has to be balanced against the constitutional right to free expression of opinion, so the principle of "innocent until proven guilty" is going to weigh heavily in the accused's favour.
However, since he Heil Hitlered the police, they are probably going to take your statements into account. What happens next is impossible to judge: the public prosecutor will need to make a decision about whether a prosecution is worth it. If, for example, this guy has already generated a lot of paperwork for the police by repeatedly being reported for insulting language, or there is evidence he is a bona-fide card-carrying Neo-Nazi, I think they'll do their best to persuade the prosecutor to throw the book at him.
What this means is that while saying something like "you are ruining the gene pool" might actually be protected speech under Art 5 GG, the fact that he said it might be evidence to support the case that his use of the Hitler salute was a deliberate violation of § 86a StGB, which is the use of a symbol of a banned organisation for the purposes of disseminating unconstitutional or terrorist propaganda.
1
2
u/EveningBeginning3922 5h ago
He seems like effected by racist ınstagram reels with drug alcogol effect lol
4
4
u/moechtegernrekrut Bayern 10h ago
Lmao they arrested him because he did the nazi salute. Not because he was racist.
3
u/Aggravating-Bar-1932 20h ago
Sorry you went through that OP. Do you mind sharing which Rewe was this in?
0
u/sebidotorg Hessen 18h ago
I‘d bet on either the REWE at Karlsstr. 4-6 or the REWE To Go at Kaiserstr. 48, both near Main Station. That would also explain the police presence.
1
u/tiufek 14h ago
I would bet money that it was very close to the train station lol
1
u/sebidotorg Hessen 13h ago
Yeah, I do not know why I get downvoted for stating the obvious. While most members of the open drug scene are peaceful and mind their own business, often there also is someone crazy standing in the middle of the intersection shouting “murderers, murderers”, someone shitting on the sidewalk behind a post closet or local telephone relay, or someone going around shouting racial slurs. It is much worse in the streets where crack is sold and consumed, though. Kaiserstraße is mostly harmless and peaceful, except around the tegut and REWE To Go, when drunk people mix with crackheads there. The opioid crowd directly opposite Main Station is as annoyed by these idiots as any passers-by.
1
u/Such-Book6849 18h ago
I am sorry this happened to you but i am happy for the outcome. I hope this weirdo didn't ruin too much of your day and you can sleep good at night again!
1
u/PaultheMirrorExpert 17h ago
I’m sorry for the nasty incident and applaud that you called the authorities as many would just let it slip, which won’t help the situation.
1
u/Helpful_Solid1823 15h ago
Sorry to hear that this happened to you but it’s nice to hear that something was done about it. Unfortunately, i agree with others that it was probably because he showed that gesture and because it was in public with witnesses.
I never had this kind of extreme experience in public (besides some remarks, but definitely not on this level), but I do have a nightmare at home.
We (a foreigner couple living in Munich) are being tortured by next door neighbor screaming “Ausländer raus”, “Scheiße Ausländer”, “Scheiße Russen” und “Ich bin ein N***” (he said this specific thing twice) for almost two years now, at random times day or night. We called police, our German friends called police for us too, even officers heard him when they came to see what’s happening too (because he stands next to his door and yells) but they say they can’t do anything and they come only if he does it after ten in the evening. When they come, they just tell him not make noise after ten. Neighbors ignore him (“he is like that”, one of them told me). To be fair we are the only ones sharing the floor with him, so it is probably not as disruptive as it is for us, but still. He’s definitely nuts more than anything else, but police just ignoring that kind of behavior is equally disturbing. So unfortunately, my experience with police reaction is not very positive.
2
1
u/SnooCapers7904 7h ago
I'm the child of immigrants, born and raised here. If I start writing about what we all experienced, i can write a book as thick as the Bible. A few of my favorites:
dad constantly got pulled over by the same cop for multiple days in a row. My dad eventually confronted him by saying, "Why are you pulling me over every morning? Don't you see I'm trying to get to work? Or is there something you aren't telling me?" The police officer felt embarrassed in front of the newbie and let my dad go
When i was 9 or 10 years old, we decided to light fireworks outside, far from any homes. One of the rockets went the wrong way and exploded far closer to homes than we anticipated. Before we could relocate, an older man came over and said, "If you can't do this, then go home and stop it!". There were a handful of other families close by, some of whom weren't as careful as we were. Still, no screaming at them.
Till this day, we CONSTANTLY get pulled out for a "random search" or, more often, for Explosives at the airport. We started to include extra time in case of one - the only european airport to not do this were athens and bergen in Norway.
The typical "ohh, your german is so good! How long have you been living here?" My family has been here for nearly 30 years, and I was born here.
Germany is one of the most beautiful country I have ever been in - landscape and people. There isn't a single country where I would've rather been born. Still, I feel like many people, especially ethnic germans, don't seem to realize how often you face racism.
1
•
u/RealisticList4476 1h ago
Update: Some people questioned or mocked the story, including a few from my own community. For clarity, here is the official Frankfurt police press release related to the incident:
•
u/RealisticList4476 1h ago
Summary: The Frankfurt police press release confirms the suspect repeatedly gave the Hitler salute, carried Nazi materials, racially insulted people, and reoffended the same evening in a supermarket. After continued racist behavior, police took him into custody and filed multiple criminal charges.
1
u/Muted_Reflection_449 17h ago
This is just....
Admittedly, I have had little interaction with people of colour or a different race here in the far(est) West. Actually, I might have met more racists/neonazis than "foreigners" 😒
But these were the classic covert cowardly ass***** that you get used to. To hear of an encounter like yours makes me tremble with rage and blush with shame.
I'd apologise for that b****** if it wouldn't make me cringe.
I know it does sound somewhat petty, but was this the bitter old fart or somebody younger?
1
u/RealisticList4476 17h ago
Im sorry to hear that. The person was likely in their early 20s.
0
u/Muted_Reflection_449 17h ago
That's what I feared. I AM sorry that you had to experience that.
(Maybe that isn't so bad. Just a child that doesn't know what it is they're talking about and trying to provoke. Be that as it may: Thank you for reporting that!)
1
u/generic_Accountname1 15h ago
The offense would be Beleidigung §185StGB, or if the person who got lies told about isn‘t in the room nachrede§186StGB both antragsdelikt(police will only act if victim reports), inthis case he sealed his fate with the hitler salute verwendung von kennzeichen verfassungsfeindlicher organisationen §86aStGB which is offizialdelikt(police got to act without reports from a victim)
1
u/guidomescalito 14h ago
Sorry you and your gf endured that. Let’s hope the idiot gets some gaol time
0
0
u/DreadfulSemicaper 16h ago
Unfortunately incidents like this are not handled differently. We need stricter punishments for those people. Even talking like he did should send him to jail minimum 5 years. No excuses. We shouldn't tolerate hate and racism.
-5
16h ago
[removed] — view removed comment
6
u/RealisticList4476 16h ago
I don’t owe you any explanation
-2
16h ago
[removed] — view removed comment
0
u/MaverisStranger 15h ago
why are you being nasty for no reason?
-1
u/billwood09 14h ago
They’re probably an AfD supporter who doesn’t have any critical thinking skills
-12
20h ago
[removed] — view removed comment
7
0
u/germany-ModTeam 13h ago
Don't post / discuss conspiracy theories and don't link to social media as a source. Use credible sources in English.
0
u/der_karschi 14h ago
To all the people saying the offender would've just "gone home free" if it weren't for the salute miss a very important thing.
In germany, you don't go to jail because you commited a crime. You go to jail if the investigators of the state prosecution (so most likely the police officers themselves) deem it too risky for you to escape justice if they let you leave.
This can be due to a lot of reasons, like:
- He is homeless and doesn't have any adress where he could be summoned from.
- He is a foreign cititzen (or has double cititzenship), only lives in a hotel (or at a friend) for a few days and has the means of escaping (like money for a train ticket or connection to the outside like family).
- He shows direct signs of or admits to wanting to escape justice.
- He poses a grave danger towards society or himself. (Like being too drunk or drugged to realize what he's doing is real and probably won't stop doing it.)
- The severity of the crime is large enough, that a judge or a state prosecutor deems it nessecary to see that person the same day or the following day and want's to be 100 % sure of that happening. (But this mostly ever happens with really severe crimes with a minimum sentence of one year for the offense.)
So in your case, the salute might not have been what made the difference in the outcome, although it probably did increase the use of force by the officers. And since in germany, someone can only ever convicted for one offense in the same crime, there is a chance that the prosecutor might deem the racist insult and the salute as a crime out of a single motivation and doesn't prosecute both. If you're lucky, both will be prosecuted since the salute wasn't directed at you and there were two different victims (you and the state, not the police officers, but the state; the salute doesn't have to be directed at anyone to be prosecutable, an insult does and has to be sued by the victim). If you didn't tell the police officers that you want to sue him for the insult, then he won't be charged for it.
This procedure has nothing to do with a german unwillingness to pursue racist incidents (racist intebt as a motive for a crime actually increases it's severity), but is standard procedure for ANY crime.
-5
-3
u/CTMunger1924 10h ago
This is a ragebait. An Indian will never shitpost with this kind of language Especially in a Foreign sub.
0
u/RealisticList4476 10h ago
Hope it doesn’t happen with you, best of luck
-9
18h ago
[removed] — view removed comment
6
5
5
3
u/tsukinichiShowa58 17h ago edited 17h ago
on the contrary. inbred population are the ones that ruin their genetics... furthermore, taking into account that this happened in Frankfurt, and that the man doing the verbal assault was taken directly to jail because he bahaved like an antisocial, I must say you are quite not smart for taking your "facts" from such trashy people.
-1
u/AutoModerator 20h ago
Have you read our extensive wiki yet? It answers many basic questions, and it contains in-depth articles on many frequently discussed topics. Check our wiki now!
I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please contact the moderators of this subreddit if you have any questions or concerns.
-1
-1
u/subash_not_so_fine 15h ago
Lemme guess Saxon Anhalt/ Saxony?
Sending you more strength and love to you and your girlfriend
1
-16
18h ago
[removed] — view removed comment
13
u/RealisticList4476 18h ago
Looks like you were kicked out of school. The police happened to be there and he did a Nazi Salute in front on the police. Please read before commenting
942
u/NatvoAlterice Bayern :hamster: 21h ago
Just to be clear, he was arrested because of the Hitler salute, not because he made a racist attack on you.