Alleged Sexual Assault at Berghain Prompts Police Investigation

The alleged rape occurred in a restroom near Berghain’s Panorama Bar. Berlin’s State Criminal Police Office is investigating the matter.

Even dance music’s most coveted safe spaces can attract people who come for the wrong reasons. World-famous Berlin techno club Berghain knows this better than most as its community sifts through the aftermath of an alleged sexual assault incident.

According to Berliner Zeitung, an online dialogue suggests that one Berghain attendee raped another in a bathroom outside the club’s panorama bar on March 2. Others claim to have experienced harassment and assault when interacting with the same individual on separate occasions.

Berghain resident Lakuti — who the alleged abuser said put him on her guest list on the night in question, according to the victim — helped identify him in a since-deleted Instagram post. She has said that he threatened to take legal action against her for doing so, and that prior to that point, the two had only interacted about music over social media.

Berlin’s State Criminal Police Office (LKA 14) confirmed that they are looking into the incident. A spokesperson said that “a specialist department for sexual offenses” is currently “conducting an investigation,” but they stopped short of providing any details due to privacy concerns.

Opened in 2004, Berghain arguably stands out as the most famous techno club in the world — in no small part due to its notoriously strict door policy. While its roots lie in the kink community, the rise in popularity of techno tourism has led to DJ bookings becoming central to its operations.

Anyone with information regarding the March 2 sexual assault incident at Berghain is encouraged to contact the State Criminal Police Office.

If you or anyone you know has experienced sexual abuse at a festival or anywhere else, here are some resources for support:

Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network (RAINN) runs the National Sexual Assault Hotline to offer support to victims and their families. Their services are free and confidential: 1-800-656-HOPE (1-800-656-4673) (Available 24 hours a day by phone and by online chat.)

Relief After Violent Encounter (RAVE) is an organization that can help you find counseling and therapy after a violent encounter. RAVE also has a domestic and sexual violence Emergency Response Team which is deployed through law enforcement to provide emergency crisis intervention to victims immediately after an assault.