Hysteria at the Hauptbahnhof.

There has been only one theme in the Berlin press this last week - the Hauptbahnhof Amokläufer (or 'main railway station maniac' in English).

After seven years of planning, last weekend's opening of Berlin's new main railway station was meant to be a symbol of progression for the new capital. However the events of friday evening - due to the behaviour of a drunken 16 year old Berlin youth running through the celebrating crowds stabbing people at random - are bound to be remembered for another reason. Or so the press would have us believe.

No less than 25 reports have appeared in the Berlin print and television media following the stabbings. At the very worst, some of these reports may have acted in contempt of the running court process, by televising an apology to victims from the alleged party's solicitor. At the very least, most reports have been characterised by elaborate hypotheses - be it on the likelihood of people contracting HIV from the attack (an early victim was confirmed as HIV+) or by making sweeping assumptions on Berlin's supposed inability to cope with terrorist attacks.

With the Football World Cup less than ten days away, let's hope that Berlin's media can retain it's professionalism infront of it's international audience. Or at least just curb it's fascination with youth violence for a month. al