Heinz 'shattering home child history: exposes abuse and violence!

Heinz 'shattering home child history: exposes abuse and violence!

Christiane Florin presents the shocking story of a former home child named Heinz in her new book "Weinz survived" how Heinz survived ". This book deals with Heinz's experiences, which became victim of abuse and violence in a Catholic children's home in the 1960s. After the loss of both parents in 1965, he was brought to the home, where he experienced humiliation and sexual abuse by several people. In her work, Florin criticizes the poor systematic processing of sexual violence in church institutions, which has been much discussed since 2010. She criticizes that the churches and the federal government often represent such acts as "unfortunate individual cases".

Heinz himself describes the gruesome experience in the home as follows: it was seen as "fresh meat", which describes the exposing and humiliating treatment that suffered many helpless children. Florin emphasizes that numerous children in homes often remained without protection and confidants and thus became victims of violence. This grievance is in accordance with the idea that there could be many other similar cases if one would investigate more intensively.

processing of abuse history

The topic of sexual abuse in homes is not new. A comprehensive scientific study, which was commissioned five years ago by the Catholic Church, illuminates the shocking results of abuse and abuse. In this study, around 38,000 personnel files from clerics were checked between 1946 and 2014. It turned out that 3,677 children and young people were affected and 1,670 potential perpetrators could be identified. Scientists emphasize that these numbers only represent the "tip of the iceberg". Among them was also psychiatrist Harald Dreßing, who calls for an independent "truth commission" to deal with the incidents.

Kerstin Claus, the Federal Government's independent abuse officer, described the results of the study as "milestone". It also demands that those affected should receive more rights, including inspection of the files. Johannes Norpoth, spokesman for the advisory board, recognizes progress, but demands more recognition of the suffering of those affected. These demands are all the more relevant with regard to the sensations of Heinz and other affected people, but have received recognition performance from the independent Commission for Recognition Services (UKA), but without a detailed reconstruction of their stories.

social ignorance

The independent commission for dealing with sexual child abuse has examined the severe fates of those affected in home education. The reports show that violence was often accompanied by physical and psychological humiliation. Many of the approximately 800,000 people who were affected by home accommodation in the old federal states between 1945 and mid -1970s experienced incredible trauma. Even those around 500,000 children in the GDR between 1949 and 1989, who were housed in state homes, also experience a similar fate. These practices are often a continuation of methods that can even be traced back to the time of National Socialism.

The continued society ignores the extent and consequences of the violence that took place in these closed systems. Affected people not only require the recognition of the injustice suffered, but also consequences for the church, the state and civil society. The need to explore this experience and process them in society is more urgent than ever. The reports and stories of former home children such as Heinz must be taken seriously and systematically documented.