Friday, August 22
Kitkat Club confirm alleged rape on premises
Last September, a visitor to Kitkat Club was raped on the premises. The incident, initially reported in taz newspaper, has now been confirmed by the club. The victim says she was approached in the bathroom by someone she did not know, who pulled her aside, kissed her, and then penetrated her with his hand without her consent.
The original report was published by two taz journalists, who followed up on allegations circulating online and located the woman. After the incident, the victim immediately told club staff, who called the police and arranged for her to be taken to hospital. At the emergency department of Charité hospital, a tear was discovered in her vaginal wall. Almost a year later, the club have now issued an official statement, released on Wednesday, which referred to that article as well as an interview the journalists gave to Tip Berlin (an English translation is available here).
In their statement, Kitkat Club acknowledge that the woman called for help at the time and that the night manager contacted the police. They write that the incident “deeply shocked and affected us” and express their sympathy to the guest, although they admit they had no direct contact with her following the incident. They also say that while they had previously been reluctant to introduce visible awareness teams – “to avoid turning Kitkat Club into a kind of ‘morality police state’” – they now have awareness teams at every party, including Mondays.
The statement also sets out the club’s philosophy, for example when it emphasises their decision not to allow “dark, closed rooms” for what they describe as “philosophical reasons”. “Anonymous groping in a dark corner is, to us, too ‘unspiritual’,” they write, adding that “Kitkat Club is brighter than any other techno club in the city.” Despite this emphasis, the statement does not dispute that the assault took place.
This is not the first time Kitkat Club has faced criticism in recent years. The venue has also been criticised for employing door staff with alleged connections to right-wing groups, and for welcoming Rammstein frontman Till Lindemann, despite multiple sexual misconduct allegations against him.
*Kitkat Club were approached for comment.
