Collien Fernandes: The actress speaks at a demonstration against sexual violence against women.Image: DPA
She initially canceled her participation due to safety concerns. Now Collien Fernandes showed up at a demo in Hamburg – with a strong message.
Mar 26, 2026, 7:44 p.mMar 26, 2026, 7:44 p.m
Thousands of people called for more protection for victims of sexual violence at a demonstration in Hamburg on Thursday. “It is enough! Shame must change sides,” read the posters. The action at the town hall market was supported by, among others, the climate activist Luisa Neubauer and the columnist Alexandra Zykunov.
They wanted to send a visible signal on the street, said Hamburg SPD member of parliament Annika Urbanski, who registered the meeting. The call for the demonstration said:
“The protection provided by laws here in Germany for those affected is inadequate. We demand more protection, clear laws and real consequences – online and offline.”
“Have the courage and strength to go out”
The idea for the demo came about out of solidarity with Collien Fernandes. The 44-year-old actually canceled her participation in the event because she had received death threats. But then she appeared – to share her message. “Have the courage and strength to go out and tell everyone what happened,” she appealed.
“I’m standing here with a bulletproof vest and personal protection,” said the 44-year-old at Hamburg’s town hall market. She wanted to show herself and be strong, which was very difficult in her situation. «I think that what something like that does to you is often underestimated. What it means on an emotional level,” she emphasized.
Collien Fernandes initially made serious allegations against her ex-husband Christian Ulmen in “Spiegel” and sworn certain accusations. She then commented on her Instagram account. As a result, Ulmen is said to have distributed digitally faked sexual images of her online for years.
Her affidavit also shows that he assumed their identity to hundreds of men online and made sexual advances to these men on their behalf. Fernandes spoke, among other things, of “digital rape”.
Christian Ulmen himself has so far remained silent about the allegations. The presumption of innocence applies. In a press release, Schertz calls the “Spiegel” publications “untrue facts based on one-sided descriptions”.
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(hkl)