If the groper were not intoxicated and posed a real threat of physical harm to himself or his daughter, then violence would have been an option. But if he had confronted, detained and notified the management and had them call the Polizei, the perp would likely have been charged and dad would be free to go.
That said, I do not believe I would have done that and probably would have given the drunk bastid a really good tune up. But...I'm a large guy with some skills and a boxing background and a very short fuse. But the right thing to do in such a situation is to not resort to physical violence. Unless circumstances demand it.
Interesting response.
I would probably (hard to imagine with any degree of total accuracy) done the same as the German father or just given a really hard push.
But, who knows? The sexual assaulter might be armed with a knife. In that case, a push might just have put yourself and your daughter in greater danger.
I think the judgment of the father should be accepted. These are split second calls. BTW, judging by Pepsi there in Germany, this will most likely be the case. That the father will not be charged in the end.
And rightly so.
Ya, stupid of you, the guy needed punched big-time.
The circumstances demanded it. Attempting to "confront and detain" an obstreperous, assaultive drunk who does not want to be "confronted and detained" is simply not possible without tools and backup. The punch in the face was absolutely the right thing to do.