Sexual harassment in Munich: 18-year-old injured, perpetrator caught!

Sexual harassment in Munich: 18-year-old injured, perpetrator caught!

On the night of Sunday, July 21, 2025, an 18-year-old Munich woman experienced a frightening incident on Sonnenstrasse. At around 2:50 a.m., shortly before the junction with Schwanthalerstrasse, she was sexually harassed and injured by a 29-year-old man. The young woman set off with a 17-year-old companion when the perpetrator approached her, grabbed her breast and hit her in the face, as sueddeutsche.de reports.

The woman's brave companion stood protectively in front of her, but also fell victim to the brutal attack. The perpetrator hit him on the head with a glass bottle. Luckily, a police patrol that happened to be patrolling nearby was quickly on the scene after the victims called for help. The perpetrator was arrested on Landwehrstrasse after a short search and is now being charged with sexual harassment and assault. He is currently in custody.

Violence against women: A widespread problem

Unfortunately, such incidents are part of a larger problem: violence against women is widespread in Germany and often takes place not only in the private sector, but also in public. The number of unreported cases of such crimes is high because many victims hesitate to report the crime out of fear of social norms and values. Statistics show that in 2023, around 181,000 women were among the 256,000 victims of domestic violence in Germany, accounting for a shocking 71%. In the case of intimate partner violence, the proportion was as high as 79% of the 168,000 cases that were registered, according to Statista.

The dangers for women are omnipresent in many areas of life. The risk of becoming a victim of violence increases, especially in the dark. This is also reflected in the horrific numbers of sexual crimes, which almost exclusively affected women in 2023; around 92% of those affected were female. For more serious offenses such as rape and sexual assault, the proportion of women was as high as 94%.

Offers of help and support

There are numerous offers of help for affected women. The “Violence Against Women” helpline on 116 016 was contacted around 86,700 times in 2023 and provided around 59,000 consultations. In addition, 30,200 women and children found protection in women's shelters, but unfortunately space is often limited. These frightening facts make it clear that, despite increasing awareness of the issue, there is still a lot of work to be done to enable women in Germany to live a safe life.

The incidents that are happening in our city make it clear that combating violence against women should play a prominent role in our society. Each of us can help raise awareness and create an environment where women can feel safe.

For further information on violence against women and corresponding statistics, please refer to the Eurostat website.