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2 clusters · 35 sources · 4 days · First seen · Last updated

Voyeurism incidents at Oktoberfest Teufelsrad

Overview

Investigations have uncovered a systematic voyeuristic business operating at the ‘Teufelsrad’ attraction during the Munich Oktoberfest. Perpetrators use mobile phones and camera glasses to film women in traditional Dirndl clothing without consent, specifically targeting moments when centrifugal force lifts their skirts.

Reports indicate that approximately 32,000 upskirting clips related to the ride have been identified on Meta platforms, with millions of views across YouTube, TikTok, and Telegram. The content is reportedly used to generate massive social media reach and profit; one individual from Upper Bavaria allegedly earned 9,000 euros in a single night selling such footage. The network involved includes actors from Bavaria and YouTube producers from Ukraine. In some cases, footage has allegedly been digitally manipulated to make victims appear naked.

In response, ride operator Elisabeth Polaczy has implemented protective measures, such as providing free cycling shorts to visitors and displaying warning signs stating that ‘upskirting is a crime.’ Polaczy, who is 80 years old, has been distributing these shorts for the past three years to ensure visitor safety, despite the initiative being costly. While legal experts and Bavarian police note that upskirting is a criminal offense in Germany punishable by fines or up to two years in prison, organizers and law enforcement face significant challenges in controlling smartphone usage within large crowds.

Entities

Oktoberfest · Elisabeth Polaczy · Teufelsrad · Süddeutsche Zeitung · North Rhine-Westphalia Police

Timeline

  1. [INTERNATIONAL] 18 sources
    Oktoberfest's Teufelsrad attraction faces voyeurism scandal

    At Munich's Oktoberfest, the Teufelsrad attraction faces a scandal involving over 32,000 voyeuristic videos of women. Operators are distributing free cycling shorts to protect visitors from upskirting.

  2. [CRIME] 20 sources
    Oktoberfest Teufelsrad investigation reveals voyeuristic video business

    Investigations reveal a voyeuristic business at Oktoberfest's Teufelsrad, where thousands of upskirting videos are filmed and sold online by actors in Bavaria and YouTube producers from Ukraine.

Sources

24.hu · allgaeuer-zeitung.de · brasilemfolhas.com.br · danas.rs · diebewertung.de · dnevnik.hr · fehmarn24.de · hna.de · impulsportal.net · jutarnji.hr · kreiszeitung.de · kurierverlag.de · LaStampa.it · leinetal24.de · mannheim24.de · maribor24.si · marler-zeitung.de · merkur-online.de · merkur.de · n1info.ba · n1info.si · op-online.de · presseportal.de · relax-portal.info · ruhr24.de · segundoasegundo.com · stimberg-zeitung.de · suedkurier.de · tagesschau.de · taz.de · theguardian.com · times.si · today.it · tz-online.de · tz.de

This summary has been updated 1 time: see revision history