Protesters have gathered in the German city of Cologne to denounce what has been revealed as a series of assaults on women in the city over New Year's Eve.
Germans have been left shaken after about 90 women reported being robbed, threatened or sexually molested at celebrations outside Cologne's cathedral.
Police say one woman reported being raped as about a thousand men, described as young and mostly drunk, attacked women in the square.
Some witnesses say the men were of North African appearance, but many politicians are urging Germans not to place refugees under blanket suspicion.
Rachael Hocking reports.
The protester is shouting, "If you continue to grope women, you will be next!"
Her loud threat is matched by a silent plea, a woman in the crowd holding a placard that reads, "Mrs Merkel, where are you? What do you have to say? We are scared!"
The group of mostly female protesters were marching in the square where, five days earlier, a series of horrific assaults -- including one allegation of rape -- took place.
German chancellor Angela Merkel has described what happened as "a new dimension of crime."
The scene police paint is chilling.
About a thousand men allegedly split into gangs when officers cleared a square to stop fireworks being thrown from the top of the steps into the crowd below.
Cologne police president Wolfgang Albers has released the victims' accounts.
(Translated) "So far, we have no suspects, meaning that we don't know who the assailants are. The only thing we know is that the police officers on site witnessed that there were mostly young men involved, aged between 18 and 35, who originate from North Africa, the Arab world. This statement corresponds with the testimonies from the victims."
The description of the men has stirred strong emotions in Germany, where Angela Merkel has welcomed people fleeing war zones in the Middle East and Africa.
And it has fuelled calls from right-wing groups to stop letting migrants into the country.
One German local, a woman named Sigried Ehm, expressed her concern.
(Translated)"The problem, of course, is 'Where did, suddenly, 1,000 people come from?' They say that they were 1,000 North Africans and that they were not refugees, but where did they come from, all of a sudden, in such a large amount? You do ask yourself that."
Many German politicians have cautioned against hasty conclusions about the perpetrators.
Germany's interior minister, Thomas de Maiziere, says residents should not harbour blanket suspicion against refugees fleeing to Germany to escape persecution.
Justice Minister Heiko Mass says such connections oversimplify what happened.
(Translated) "During these investigations, it will become clear which circle of perpetrators is involved. Making this an issue through oversimplifications and connecting it to the issue of refugees is nothing more than misuse of the debate. Now it is about determining the facts and drawing the necessary conclusions."
Responding to the attacks, Cologne has announced new security measures and is investigating whether the assaults constitute a new form of organised crime.
But the city's mayor, Henriette Reker, says the upcoming Carnival event will not be cancelled.
The traditional celebrations mean the city closes down for five days next month, and Ms Reker says the city will be well-equipped to host the event.
(Translated) "I will only say this: For all large-scale events, there will be a security concept which will be comparable to a security concept for an event for which there is also an organiser. The city will take on the role of this virtual organiser and will make sure what we normally would expect from large-scale events is there."
The assaults have reignited Germany's debate about how to deal with a record number of asylum seekers.
Last year, more than a million migrants arrived in the country.
