A man who has not yet been identified is suspected by Berlin police of spitting at and insulting a transgender woman on Thursday afternoon in the Wedding district. The 33-year-old woman reported the incident through the city’s online police desk.
According to authorities, the transgender woman was walking near the corner of Triftstraße and Tegeler Straße around 3:20 p.m. when a man on a bicycle approached, spat on her, and allegedly directed transphobic insults at her. She is said to have been struck in the face, on her neck, and on her shoulder. The suspect then rode away.
The investigations into bodily harm and insult have been taken over by the Police State Protection division of the Berlin State Criminal Police Office. This is standard procedure in cases of suspected queer-phobic hate crimes.
There are ongoing reports from Berlin of anti-LGBTQI+ assaults, as the state police publicly flags potential hate crimes based on sexual orientation or gender identity, which means these cases are relatively frequently brought to the public’s attention. The police and the public prosecutors in the capital have dedicated points of contact for queer people. (pm)
Marcy Ellerton
