A landmark court ruling in Germany has caused widespread anger after it was declared that secretly filming naked women in public saunas without their consent is not a criminal offence.
The Leipzig Incident That Exposed The Law
The controversial decision emerged from a case in Leipzig where two young women discovered a man covertly filming them with his mobile phone hidden inside a rolled-up towel. The women immediately alerted sauna staff and, when no action was taken, contacted the police.
Officers confiscated the man's phone and found videos of multiple naked female guests. Several other women subsequently came forward with similar complaints about the same individual, creating a pattern of predatory behaviour.
One victim expressed her disbelief, stating: "I had this letter in front of me and couldn't believe it. It states in black and white that he can take photos of naked women and will not be punished for it."
Why Prosecutors Were Powerless
Despite condemning the behaviour as "extremely morally reprehensible," the Leipzig Public Prosecutor's Office was forced to drop the case due to a specific legal technicality.
Paragraph 201a of the German Penal Code (StGB) only criminalises covert filming in spaces "especially protected against viewing," such as toilets or locked changing cabins. Public saunas, even those enforcing nudity, do not qualify under this outdated definition.
The legal precedent dates back to a 2008 ruling that confirmed public saunas are not "protected spaces." Consequently, the voyeur was allowed to keep his phone containing all the videos and walked away without any penalty.
National Backlash And Fight For Change
The ruling has exposed a shocking contradiction in German law, where the country is known for strict privacy regulations regarding CCTV and data protection, yet offers no protection for women in sauna environments.
The case has gained significant momentum after Marleen Maxeiner shared her own experience online of being ogled and followed in a sauna facility. Her viral video interview with German broadcaster RTL sparked a swell of support on Instagram, with thousands praising her refusal to remain silent.
A national petition has now been launched to close what campaigners are calling a "shameful" privacy loophole. Legal experts argue the law is absurdly outdated, based on pre-smartphone definitions that no longer reflect modern reality, creating a patchwork of enforcement that allows predators to operate without conviction.
