Hidden cameras in HWR women's restroom: Police search 66-year-old's apartment

TVS News AI, editorially supervised, presents Hidden cameras in HWR women's restroom: Police search 66-year-old's apartment.

In summer 2026, female students at the Berlin University of Applied Sciences for Economics and Law (HWR) in Berlin-Lichtenberg discovered cameras in the women's restroom of their campus. Police have now searched the apartment of a 66-year-old man in Berlin-Treptow, who is suspected of secretly filming there. The investigation is based on suspicion of violation of the most intimate sphere of life through photographic recordings.

What happened at HWR in Berlin-Lichtenberg

On June 10, 2026, according to several Berlin media outlets, two cameras were discovered in a women's restroom at the HWR's Lichtenberg campus – they were found by students. The university filed a criminal complaint, as confirmed by a police spokesperson. According to police, the restrooms were publicly accessible – meaning not only for students and staff, but also for external visitors. The Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office is leading the case on suspicion of intrusion into the most intimate sphere of life.

Two cameras instead of one

What initially appeared to be a single discovery turned out to be a double case upon closer examination of the sanitary facilities: officers came across a second hidden camera. Whether both devices were installed at the same time or whether the second camera was added after the first discovery cannot be determined from the information released so far. What is clear is that the recordings could contain traces such as fingerprints or DNA that might point to the perpetrator – that is the investigators' hope.

Who is the 66-year-old suspect?

Police searched the apartment of a 66-year-old in Berlin-Treptow on Tuesday (October 7, 2026), as jointly announced by police and the Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office. The man is suspected of secretly filming in the women's restroom. Investigators have not yet released further personal details – such as his occupation, his connection to HWR, or possible previous offenses. This is standard practice during ongoing proceedings. What exactly was found during the search has also not yet been made public.

What the man could now face

Anyone who secretly records in restrooms, changing rooms, or other protected spaces commits an offense under Section 201a of the German Criminal Code (Strafgesetzbuch) – violation of the most intimate sphere of life through photographic recordings. The penalty can be up to two years' imprisonment or a fine. If additional offenses are added – such as distributing the recordings – penalties can be considerably higher. Whether this will be the case here depends on the content of the recordings and the results of the apartment search.

What often goes unnoticed at universities

Universities are semi-public spaces: lecture halls and libraries are freely accessible, while restrooms and changing rooms are highly sensitive. Perpetrators exploit precisely this gradient – the cameras often hang for weeks or months before being noticed. For you as a student, this means: if something seems off in a restroom, changing room, or shower facility – a loose cover, an unusual drilled hole, a USB power supply with no identifiable device – report it to campus security, the student services, or the university administration. A brief report is usually enough for a targeted inspection. Those who stay silent give perpetrators time.