German Child Beaten in Her Multicultural Berlin School 4 Different Times

In many of Germany’s schools featuring a high percentage of migrant schoolchildren, ethnic Germans are the targets of bullying and assault. Now, another story highlights the trend, involving 10-year-old Emlia, who was attacked and injured four different times by her classmates on school grounds. She has now been diagnosed with psychological disorders due to the constant attacks, including post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD).

The four different incidents, dating back to February of this year, resulted in the fifth grader Emilia suffering from death threats, bruises on her body, abrasions, and even a headbutting attack at the Tempelherren Elementary School in Berlin.

The school has a high proportion of non-native German speakers, totaling 213 out of 323 students. That means nearly 67 percent of students are non-native German speakers.

The parents have gone so far as to write an open letter accusing the school of inaction and the police of failing to act against the constant assaults and death threats.

“We demand more supervisors in the schoolyard and decisive action from the school administration to protect all children,” wrote the girl’s parents, 33-year-old Julia and the 35-year-old Robert P., while appealing to school authorities to take action.

Beaten and kicked

The parents describe the incidents first beginning at the Carnival celebration In this first incident, like many other children, she wore a costume to school and brought an inflatable baseball bat with her. According to the mother, a number of boys tried to take it from her, leading her to lock it away.

“Then she was pushed to the ground in the schoolyard and kicked several times,” Julia P. stated, adding: “There was no supervisor nearby at the time of the incident.”

The principal reportedly advised the parents to press charges, but despite filing a police report, the police dropped the investigation because the suspects were under 14 years of age.

Death threat

In April, Emelia once again became the victim of her classmates. One classmate allegedly threatened to bring a knife to school and kill the young girl.

Another police report was filed.

“On doctor’s advice, Emilia stayed home for a week,” said Julia P. “The only school-related measure for the boy was a temporary transfer to a lower grade.”

The boy actually confessed to the death threat as well, according to the Berliner Morgenpost.

Then, language barriers arose as a serious problem once again. The parents and school arranged a joint meeting with the boy’s parents.

Julia P. stated that “(the boy’s) sister, who attends the neighboring high school, had to translate because the parents hardly speak any German.”

Headbutt

The parents say that three weeks ago, a boy headbutted Emilia, resulting in a black eye.

Again, the parents went to the authorities.

“We also filed a report against this boy,” said Emilia’s father, Robert.

Emilia spoke to Bild about the violence rife in the school, which not only stalks her, but also stalks other students every single day.

“The bullying in the schoolyard is a sad daily occurrence,” writes Bild newspaper.

Emilia told the paper: “Someone gets beaten up every break.”

Pushed to the ground and kicked, “Shoe prints clearly visible on her body.”

It is not just fellow fifth graders targeting Emilia either. Just two weeks ago, three second-graders first insulted Emilia, with one of them saying, “I’ll f**k your mother.”

Emilia was then pushed to the ground and kicked. The girl said her classmates were egging the children on during the attack.

Emilia suffered bruises and abrasions.

When she was picked up from school, there were still shoe prints on her body.

“The shoe prints were clearly visible,” said her father.

School response

Bild contacted the school, and Susanne Gonswa, spokesperson for the school board, stated: “The incidents that came to light at the school have been investigated, meetings with parents have been held, and measures have been initiated in accordance with the school law and the principle of proportionality.”

Bild also writes that “the class teacher, the school social worker, the school psychological and inclusive education counseling and support center, the responsible school supervisory authority, and the parents were all involved in the investigation. A working group on ‘violence prevention’ is scheduled to begin its work at the elementary school after the autumn break.”

Now, there are a number of police criminal complaints against numerous violent children, but police can do little against such young perpetrators.

Meanwhile, their daughter is suffering from anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD), all diagnosed by a psychologist due to the violence she has faced. She is receiving trauma therapy and is attending a self-defense class.

Julia and Robert P. want more action.

“How long are we going to let our children remain at risk before a serious accident, permanent psychological damage, or something worse happens?” they stated.

In their open letter, they wrote: “School must not be a place of fear – but of education and togetherness.”

The two parents note that there is a severe staff shortage at the school, and oftentimes, incidents of violence occur because nobody is watching what is occurring on the school grounds.

As with many German children, changing schools is often the only option, and that is exactly what Emilia’s parents say will be happening. In fact, it mirrors many similar cases, such as Yara, who Remix News reported on in the past, and who was bullied because she was German. She was also forced to change schools.

Pattern of violence

This is not just an isolated incident. As Berlin’s school population has grown more diverse, it has also grown more violent.

Data shows that as of October, police officers have already been called 1,129 times to schools in the capital due to physical violence.

Over the last five years, since 2020, there has been a significant increase in such incidents. In 2020, there were a total of 1,043 incidents for the whole year.

In addition, 40 percent of all violent crimes in German schools are perpetrated by foreigners, including two knife-related attacks per day.