Chat histories, photographs, emails, and affidavits prove that sexual violence, rape and abuse of power were being committed in the left-wing party.

The scandal around the German Left (Die Linke) Party exploded like a bombshell after Spiegel magazine had come out with chat histories, affidavits and emails, evidencing that sexual violence, rape and abuse of power had been committed against party staff. According to reports, the most serious cases took place in Hessen. The allegations mostly involved middle-aged men in high-level positions of significant power, such as on boards of directors, but there are also federal politicians and other well-known names on the list.

A young woman disclosed that in 2018, one staff member of the Left Party’s Hessen state parliamentary group, Adrian G in his early 40s at the time regularly appeared on her balcony and forced her to let him into her apartment and to have sex with him. 24 years younger than Adrian G, the woman, who was a member of the party’s youth organisation, first objected, but then surrendered and was forced to give in. Janine Wissler, the Left Party’s co-chair, knew about the case, but failed to do anything. Although she denies being aware of the harassment, a text message proves otherwise. The young woman, who was living in fear, reported the problem to the co-chair. She wrote,

„Please forgive me, Janine, but I will lose my mind if Adrian keeps turning up on my balcony at night and calling it romantic.”

SOURCE: SPIEGEL

Another young victim reported being sexually abused by a member of The Left party in Wiesbaden and sexually harassed by a local member of the Social Democratic Party (SPD). Since the two incidents were made public, 23 more victims have come forward and told the youth organisation linked to The Left. Spokesperson Sarah Dubiel says there are now reports of sexual assaults in almost all the federal states except Schleswig-Holstein and Saarland. In an open letter, the youth organisation called on The Left party to investigate the cases as rigorously as possible.

„It is unacceptable that the perpetrators are allowed to stay in the party and are supported by board members and other influential people. The confidence in the leftist structures of many of those affected has been deeply shaken. We demand the resignation of all those involved who are themselves perpetrators or who knew about the acts and covered them up,”

reads the letter, which was signed by hundreds of people in just one day.