House Speaker Laura Boldrini on
Thursday voiced solidarity with the victims of sexual assaults,
reportedly by men of Arab or North African appearance, in
Cologne on New Year's Eve.
"My full solidarity with the dozens and dozens of women (who
were) victims of physical and verbal violence, molestation and
humiliation on the night of New Year's Eve in Cologne," she
said.
She accused critics of "twisting" a tweet she made in
October congratulating the new mayor of the German city,
Henriette Reker, on her election after being attacked with a
knife for her pro-immigrant stance.
"Now, as then, I am beside women who are subject to
violence," Boldrini said.
Reker has been criticised for calling for a code of conduct
on the part of women, saying it is up to them to keep potential
rapists "at arm's length".
The scores of Cologne victims were joined Thursday by 70
Hamburg women who reported being molested at the New Year.
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