Staff at a Berlin youth centre chose not to report the alleged rape of a teenage girl because they believed Muslim boys already faced excessive police attention, it has been claimed.
The allegations centre on the Wutzkyallee youth facility in the Neukölln district of the German capital.
According to the newspaper Bild, a sworn statement from workers at the neighbouring MaDonna centre supported suspicions that the alleged attackers were not reported to authorities over fears about discrimination against Muslim youths.
These allegations have been denied.
The reports describe how a 16-year-old girl of Turkish-Kurdish heritage was allegedly raped by an Arab boy before being sexually assaulted by eight additional individuals in a hidden section of the premises.
The document, which has been provided to both the Senate and district politicians, states that those allegedly responsible recorded the attacks and subsequently used the footage to coerce the victim.
The group is also said to have made efforts to convince the girl's younger sister to meet with them.
The serious allegations originated at the Wutzkyallee youth centre in Neukölln
|GOOGLE MAPS
A transcript of discussions between supervisors at the facility, obtained by the German publication, reportedly contained the statement: "Intimacy in the premises of the youth center is permitted even between girls and several boys".
Markus Oegel, who leads the CDU parliamentary group in Neukölln, condemned this approach, saying: "You can't create spaces for intimacy in youth centers simply because Muslim youths aren't allowed to do that at home — that's unacceptable. After all, we're still talking about minors".
Employees reportedly informed the social services coordinator that the incidents needed to be reported to police, however, the coordinator allegedly declined to do so out of concern it would marginalise the perpetrators.
RELATED STORIES
The sworn statement claims she expressed the view that "the Muslim boys were already under enough police scrutiny and that she wanted to prevent a general suspicion".
The Berlin Senate Department has confirmed there are no official guidelines or regulations governing relationships within youth centres.
Left Party youth councillor Sarah Nagel has firmly rejected suggestions of a cover-up, stating: "As of today, I would like to make it clear - there was absolutely no attempt to cover up the allegations".
She insisted: "The perpetrators' background played no role whatsoever in how the incidents were handled".
The youth facility has now been permanently shut down.
Ms Nagel stressed the importance of creating safe spaces for young people, declaring: "Sexualised violence and the patriarchal structures that promote it must be consistently countered".
Berlin's Governing Mayor Kai Wegner has demanded a comprehensive inquiry into the matter.
Writing on Facebook, he warned: "If it turns out that the rape of a 16-year-old was deliberately covered up out of a misguided sense of cultural tolerance or for partisan political reasons, there must be consequences.
"People who cover up such things have no place in public office. The events in Neukölln must be fully investigated. There is no cultural discount for criminals. The protection of the young woman is now the top priority".