"Cologne police failed during New Year's Eve '

That said the interior minister of North Rhine-Westphalia in a special session of the state parliament. "The image that the Cologne police has shown in the New Year's Eve, is unacceptable," said Minister Jäger (SPD).

Jäger said the police leadership, the reserve units that were available had to use. That has not happened, although that was urgently needed given the situation, he said. He also criticized the lack of openness to the police about what happened in the New Year's Eve.

More than 500 women have already made declarations because they are assaulted in Cologne in the New Year's Eve, raped or molested.

Migrants

Jäger says that the perpetrators almost all have a migrant background. He relies on witness statements, the Cologne police and federal police.

Most perpetrators are from North Africa and the rest of the Arab world. There are also refugees. "Based on what we now know, there are refugees who arrived last year," said Jäger. It is the first time that he exhaust himself over the background of the perpetrators.

The government of North Rhine-Westphalia is formed by the Social Democratic SPD and the leftist party Die Grüne environment. The Christian Democratic CDU and FDP did not lay down in the resignation of the Cologne police. Police chief Wolfgang Albers Friday by Jäger was put on hold. They want more conclusions can be drawn, but which are not yet clear.

NOS.nl/ © EPA