The Berlin police report an apparently transphobic assault on a young transgender woman: On Tuesday evening, around 10:45 p.m., she, 18 years old, was standing in front of a restaurant on Sonnenallee, accompanied by a 21-year-old transgender person. From a group of people, an unidentified man reportedly asked the 18-year-old whether she was a man or a woman. He then insulted the trans woman, struck her in the face, and knocked her to the ground. While she lay on the ground, he allegedly kicked her head several times. He also insulted the 21-year-old companion.
Following the attack, the unknown assailant fled along Weichselstraße toward Karl-Marx-Straße. The 18-year-old trans woman sustained swelling to her face from the blow and swelling to her elbow from the fall. She declined medical treatment. The investigation has been taken over by the Police State Protection unit of the State Criminal Police Office, because it could be a hate-motivated crime. As in initial reports, the police did not release any further information about the suspect.
There are recurring reports from Berlin about anti-LGBTI assaults, as the state police actively publicize potential hate crimes based on sexual orientation or gender identity, and thus report them to the public more often. The police and the public prosecutors’ office in the capital have dedicated contacts for queer people. (pm)
