According to NDR research: Klaasohm festival in Borkum without beatings in the future? | NDR.de – television – broadcasts AZ – Panorama

by Lorenz Jeric, Anna Orth

NDR research had shown how women were beaten with cow horns at the annual Klaasohm festival on December 5th on the North Sea island of Borkum. In the past, the island community had tried to shield the event from the public and press. Part of the festival is a parade in which women are captured and beaten with cow horns by costumed men, the Klaasohms.

Organizer reacts

In response to the reporting, the Borkumer Jungs association, which organizes the Klaasohm Festival, released a statement. It says the club has decided to completely abolish the practice of hitting. The association rejects “any exercise of violence, especially against women.” “We expressly distance ourselves from any form of violence against women and apologize in full for the historical actions of the past few years, especially for the violence in the recent past.” They want to focus on what really makes the festival special, “the solidarity of the islanders.”

Borkum’s mayor criticizes NDR reporting

This was preceded by loud criticism on social media, as well as an online petition calling for Klaasohm to be abolished.

Borkum’s mayor Jürgen Akkermann accused the NDR team of the dpa news agency that the reporting was tendentious and dubious. The video footage of the attacks only shows the misconduct of individuals and “can in no way be used as evidence that the island tolerates violence, as the report suggests.” Positive voices about the Klaasohm Festival were not heard, said Akkermann.

In fact, NDR reporters tried several times to let supporters of the festival have their say. However, all interview requests were officially canceled. Several advocates for Klaasohm from the Borkum population were interviewed, but they withdrew their interviews before publication.