Gastronomic-Paradise

Baths generally posed minimal risks in most cases.

Investigating Sexual Assaults and Intimidation towards Lifeguards at German Public Pools: Insights from bath facility managers.

, and Administrator

2025 September 8 . 5:26 PM

2 min read

Most bathing areas were generally secure.

Baths generally posed minimal risks in most cases.

In recent developments, incidents of criminal activity, including sexual harassment and violent crime, have been reported in public swimming pools across Germany. Notably, such incidents have been reported in Hesse (Gelnhausen) and Augsburg.

However, it's important to note that efforts are being made to ensure the safety of visitors in these facilities. In Baden-Württemberg, for instance, the number of criminal offenses in public swimming pools decreased by 17.7 percent to 909 cases compared to the previous year.

The German Swimming Pool Association (DGfdB), representing thousands of swimming pools in Germany, plays a crucial role in maintaining safety. The Association has implemented various measures, such as enforcing specific construction regulations, requiring permanent supervision by qualified personnel, and installing safety signs.

Christian Mankel, the managing director of the DGfdB, has emphasized the shared responsibility in ensuring safety. This involves pool operators, police, social workers, and local authorities working together.

Mankel also mentioned measures already taken to increase safety, such as small adjustments in the entrance area, the use of personalized online tickets, and digitized ID checks. He further stated that public swimming pools in Germany reflect society's issues and should not be trivialized or downplayed but also not exaggerated into scandals.

Elsewhere in Germany, a decrease in criminal offenses has been reported. For instance, in Bremen, there has been a decrease, and the same trend is seen in Brandenburg, where the police recorded a total of 83 cases of violent crime, mainly bodily injuries, compared to 65 cases the previous year.

However, incidents such as a lifeguard being attacked in Hannover have raised concerns. In Berlin, the police recorded 141 criminal offenses in the current swimming pool season up to mid-August, slightly more than in the same period last year, with an increase mainly due to an increase in trespassing.

With approximately 3,000 public swimming pool facilities in Germany, close collaboration between all involved parties is crucial for ensuring the safety and security of visitors. Mankel reiterated this, stating that the statistics on the safety of visitors in public swimming pools in this season have remained generally safe.