BERLIN

A Muslim woman in a hijab was racially assaulted in a Berlin subway station, local media reported on Monday.
The incident was the latest in a string of xenophobic attacks in the German capital targeting people of foreign appearance, including Muslim women with headscarves.

Berlin police confirmed that a 20-year-old Muslim woman at the Rathaus Neukolln subway station suffered minor injuries after a person verbally and physically attacked her, tried to remove her hijab, and pulled her hair.

The suspect uttered racial slurs before fleeing the scene, according to the police.

An investigation is ongoing to determine the identity of the assailant.

Germany has witnessed growing racism and Islamophobia in recent years, fueled by the propaganda of far-right groups and parties, which have exploited the refugee crisis and attempted to stoke fear of immigrants.

Authorities registered at least 569 Islamophobic crimes in 2022, including verbal and physical assaults, threatening letters, and arson attacks targeting mosques.