Interview-related criticism prompts the mayor to offer a defensive response
In a statement made to WELT.de, Christian Litzinger, the Mayor of Gelnhausen, suggested that high temperatures could potentially contribute to frayed tempers, a comment that was interpreted as trivializing the sexual assaults that occurred at the Barbarossabad swimming pool on June 22, 2025.
Nine underage girls, aged between 11 and 16, were allegedly sexually harassed by four men aged 18-28, who were later identified as Syrian nationals. Following this incident, Mayor Litzinger made a statement, saying, "Of course, it’s always high temperatures, and sometimes tempers are frayed."
The comments sparked a wave of criticism, with some arguing that they downplayed the severity of the incidents and the responsibility of the city to address them. FDP parliamentary group leader Kolja Saß was among the critics, stating that such comments were inappropriate and insensitive towards the victims' experiences.
However, it appears that Mayor Litzinger's intention was to provide context rather than to excuse the behavior. According to his legal team, Höcker Anwälte, his statement was taken out of context. They also stated that there had only been minor incidents of theft and insults in the pool prior to the sexual assault incident.
In an attempt to clarify his statement, Mayor Litzinger explained in an interview that his comment about high temperatures leaving emotions bare was not in reference to the sexual assaults, but to past verbal altercations in the pool. He also emphasized that he has never trivialized sexual assaults.
The Mayor of Bad Soden-Salmünster, Dominik Brasch, has expressed his support for Litzinger, believing that his statement was deliberately misunderstood by parts of the reporting and those who are now attacking him morally superiorly. Brasch also criticized the "digital mob" and the loss of inhibition, coarsening, and abyss that he believes is happening to Litzinger, especially on social media.
In response to the criticism, Litzinger's legal team is pursuing legal means against what they consider to be irresponsible and manipulative journalism. They maintain that their client's words were not intended to downplay the gravity of the situation but to provide a broader understanding of the context.
[1] Source: WELT.de, June 25, 2025. [4] Source: Tagesspiegel, June 26, 2025.
- Mayor Litzinger's comments about high temperatures and frayed tempers have also been met with criticism in the realm of social media, with many users accusing him of trivializing the crime-and-justice issue involving sexual assaults at the Barbarossabad swimming pool.
- In the midst of the political backlash, the Mayor of Gelnhausen has further emphasized that his remarks were not intended as a pass on the seriousness of the general-news event, but as an explanation for past incidents of verbal altercations and minor crimes like theft at the pool.
- Despite the uproar, Mayor Litzinger's counterpart, Dominik Brasch from Bad Soden-Salmünster, has voiced his support for Litzinger, suggesting that the criticism leveled against Litzinger, primarily through social media, has been exaggerated and misguided, and that it represents a broader issue of entertainment and politics being mixed with the reporting and overall discourse on the matter.
