Homeless man in Friedrichshain brutally thrown into the Spree!

Homeless man in Friedrichshain brutally thrown into the Spree!

In the night from Friday to Saturday, a homeless man was thrown into the Spree in Berlin-Friedrichshain. The incident occurred around midnight when at least four people packed the 42-year-old in the park on Mühlenstrasse and pulled him to the bank edge before pushed him into the water. Fortunately, unknown passers -by then helped the man out of the Spree, and he was able to go to the federal police at the Ostbahnhof to show the attack. There he also received outpatient care for emergency services. The criminal police have taken over the investigation, reports the Tagesspiegel .

The incident is symptomatic of a worrying increase of violence against homeless people in the capital. In 2024, a total of 506 violent offenses were registered against the homeless, which means an increase of 61 cases compared to the previous year. This corresponds to a trend that has been clearly recognizable in recent years. The police classify many of these incidents as "hate crime".

violence against homeless

The increase in violence is alarming, especially since the most common forms of violence against homeless intentional bodily harm and dangerous and serious bodily harm are. In 2024, 241 cases of simple bodily harm and 166 cases of dangerous or serious bodily harm were registered. These incidents often take place in districts such as Mitte, Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg and Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf-districts that have a high density of homeless people. In traffic with the problem, the Senate has highlighted the "Housing First" approach in order to offer the data subjects security and a roof over their heads. The RBB24 reports that this approach has been tested in Berlin since 2018.

The concept provides for the homeless person to make an apartment available without priority, which means that they do not have to solve their addiction problems first or have to undergo therapy. So far, around 140 apartments have been imparted through the "Housing First" initiatives in Berlin, whereby women in particular benefit from this program.

The situation in Berlin

In Berlin, up to 10,000 people live on the street, while the Berlin city mission appreciates the number of homeless people at over 5,000. However, the number of unreported cases could be significantly higher. About 70% of the homeless in the city live with mental illnesses, which, in combination with everyday violence you experience, lead to a vicious circle, so Tagesschau . Distrust of the police also complicates the homeless person access to the necessary help.

offers that could help relieve the situation are urgently needed. Barbara Breuer from the Berlin city mission calls for more low-threshold offers, such as emergency accommodation and daily centers with therapy and advisory services. Due to the high occupancy of the existing emergency overnight stays of up to 96% on cold nights, the pressure on the already attacked infrastructure is enormous.

It remains to be seen how the Senate reacts to the increasing violence and the need for more living space, especially since the number of homeless people in Germany, according to the Federal Working Group on Homeness Aid, increases to around 50,000 people and continue to worry about the security and care of these vulnerable groups.