So far this year there have been 32 injuries resulting from beer stein assaults, said Munich police spokeswoman Claudia Haas, up from 19 at the same time during last year’s festival. She said she expects the stiff sentences the perpetrators face will serve as a deterrent in future.
This is not unlike the “glassing” sprees going on in the UK. As Drew Breunig points out, the efforts to reduce such attacks by introducing plastic, unbreakable pint glasses don’t address the problem at all. “The problem here is rooted in culture, not in an easily breakable pint glass.”
Consider also the introduction of the anti-rape condom as a device that fails to only address the symptoms of an epidemic and not the problem.
On the plus side, Der Spiegel reported that rapes and assaults at the 2ooth Oktoberfest are down. Kudos to you Münchners!
Nick Kam 