What else except for just hand over my belongings to the hostel and walk away ?
TLDR: after a hostel abruptly cancelled my prepaid stay without a written reason and refund; I am now facing significant victim-blaming on Reddit from users who claim I should have "just left" and forfeited my property rights, ignoring the fact that the hotel weaponized the police to enforce a contract breach against a non-violent.
Incident experienced as a a woman of color traveling solo in Germany.
I prepaid for several days' accommodation and stayed for one. On next morning, while in the lobby bar, staff abruptly informed me verbally that giving my remaining nights cancelled.
They provided no written notice, no reason for the cancellation, and cannot refund.
I could not accept this arrangement and that my belongings were still in the room, I refused to leave without a formal explanation or my possessions, they instead urged me to leave immediately.
They hotel called the police, reporting me for Trespassing. Despite being of Small Stature and offering, the responding officers (a larger males) spoke primarily in German. Then, while I was standing there trying to figure out what they might be saying in German, suddenly I was unexpectedly assaulted by the police: I was dragged for dozens of meters and eventually thrown to the ground on street.
What shocks me most is the ease with which a service provider can weaponize law inflict violence on a legitimate consumer. By simply invoking the 'Hausrecht', and discriminatory treatment of foreign travelers, may have very little protection over.
I've been in hundreds of places, and I don't see anything wrong with my behavior.
I am writing this is for more disturbing than the assault itself is the reaction from locals when I shared this experience,the prevailing sentiment was to blame me for 'not leaving immediately' when told.
with no allegations of wrongdoing, no refund, and part of my personal belongings still held in the room, was it truly the choice of a rational person to simply give up and walk into the streets? Or this morbid demand for 'compliance' is actually an excuse for the service provider's violent behavior.
Posted Feb 16, 2026, 8:33 PM UTC