Themis reports rise in physical assaults in the culture and media industry

According to Themis, the shift in the ratio of physical to non-physical assaults is notable. In 2025, 68 cases of physical harassment or rape were set against 37 cases of verbal harassment. The year before, there had been 68 cases of verbal and 61 cases of physical harassment or rape. The ratio has thus reversed in favor of physical incidents. Among those affected, 70 percent were women; in more than 80 percent of cases, the perpetrators were men.

Shift in case numbers

President Martina Zöllner, who has held the office since 2025, assessed the development in a press release in clear terms. "Das Ausmaß sexueller Belästigung und Gewalt im Kultur- und Medienbereich ist nach wie vor erschreckend," she stated. In a contribution for "Die Zeit," Zöllner said: "Das Verhältnis von körperlichen zu nicht körperlichen Übergriffen hat sich verändert. Das mag ein Spiegel der gesamtgesellschaftlichen Entwicklung sein."

Executive board member Lansink sees several causes for the increase. She pointed to the overall social climate and said, "Frauenfeindlichkeit ist online wie offline enthemmter geworden, und das schlägt auch im Arbeitsalltag durch." At the same time, she noted that employees are now more frequently willing to file complaints under the General Equal Treatment Act (AGG) with their employer. "Am Anfang gab es kaum jemanden, der es wagte, sich mit einer Beschwerde an den Arbeitgeber zu wenden," said Lansink.

Structural problems in the industry

Despite this increased willingness, the structural problems in the industry remain. Zöllner stated on this: "Es scheint sich die Erkenntnis durchzusetzen, dass wirkliche Veränderungen sich nur ergeben, wenn die Kultur des Schweigens durchbrochen, auf die Vorfälle aufmerksam gemacht und eine echte Verhaltensänderung eingefordert wird." In addition, the working conditions in the industry — such as high dependencies and close physical proximity on sets — are "unverändert ein Nährboden für Übergriffe."

In the majority of incidents, the perpetrators were supervisors or persons in higher positions. According to Themis, the range of reported assaults extends from suggestive remarks about a colleague's outward appearance to intrusive touching of the buttocks or genital area, and to rape.

Services of the trust center

Themis offers affected individuals legal and psychological counseling as well as support with complaints against employers. The institution was founded in Berlin in 2018 in the wake of the MeToo scandal. In the past year 2025, the experts conducted a total of more than 600 counseling sessions, including 105 initial consultations.

According to the trust center's assessment, the rising numbers are an indication that, although more awareness and more reporting channels have emerged since the MeToo movement, actual prevention and behavioral change in the industry continue to be absent.