Germany

Study: violence in Catholic handicapped homes everyday

The lives of disabled children and young people in Catholic homes between 1949 and 1975 was marked by Isolation, subordination and violence. This was the result of a first comprehensive study of the subject.

“Crying was not allowed. And if they did, there was also shock,” recalls the resident of a Catholic disabled home. And another reported: “we were locked in a dark room (…) for me this was the worst thing there was.”

For the first time, a study of a dark Chapter of German postwar history: the everyday life and suffering of alleged or actual mentally disabled and mentally ill children and young people who grew up between 1949 and 1975 in Catholic homes for the disabled.

Experts at the Catholic University of Freiburg, Respondent, under the leadership of the social pedagogue Anne rose Siebert more than 300 people who grew up in the homes of West Germany. And heard many harrowing reports. Thus, 70 percent reported physical violence endured. The bandwidth of slaps in the face of beatings with a Hand, belt or cane was enough to tear up Out of toe-nails as a punishment for an escape attempt.

Every third person was a victim of sexual violence

About 60 percent reported experiences, to classify the authors of the Study, as psychological violence: teachers children provided because of bed-wetting in front of the group only or locked up frightened children in a dark cellar. Young people were forced to eat their vomit.

Caritas President Peter Neher announced, from the study findings to draw conclusions

Every third of the respondents spoke about sexual violence: As a facilities Manager and pastor in the weekly duty-conversation of Confession in detail about “offenses against Chastity” to tell. In the case of health studies had to be adolescents by the end of the sex organs to palpation. A woman reported to the scientists of forced sterilizations.

Add to this that almost a quarter of the respondents claimed to know why he or she was actually brought into the home. Often it came to false admissions: Behavioral problems or difficult children were classified by hand as mentally ill or mentally disabled and forced to stay at the hospital.

“Study confirms experience and Suffering.”

The managing Director of the Caritas Commission of the German bishops ‘ conference, John Stücker-Brüning, said the study was an important step in the Rehabilitation of the Affected. You acknowledge their experience and their Suffering. He welcomed the agreement of the Federation and the länder on the Foundation’s “recognition and support”. These had agreed in the past week, to Finance, together with the churches of the new Fund for those Affected. Former children are to receive a lump-sum recognition of the sum of 9,000 euros. For pension benefits up to € 5,000 will be paid out.

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According to calculations, approximately 97,000 former children in Germany who were in institutions for the disabled or are still alive. Until the 1970s, 95 percent of the homes were in ecclesiastical hands. About 40 percent were run by the Catholic Church and the religious people, 60 percent of Evangelical media. Of the Evangelical Church, there is no such study.

Asking for forgiveness

Caritas President Peter Neher asked the Concerned to forgiveness “for the suffering that you drive in facilities of Caritas.” His Association will do everything in order to draw “out of the depressing Findings of the study” consequences for the technical and political work.

The münster nun Katharina Kluitmann said that the order be embarrassed “about the great suffering, the people who would have needed special protection, just there – even religious people – was done to”. In addition to Individual who would need their Power clearly miss, gave it to the structures of the Overwork which had led to actions, “which would also meet the former criminal and educational Standards”, so Kluitmann, is on the Board of the German religious conference.

For the study of the Federal Association of Caritas behindertenhilfe und Psychiatrie (CBP) respondents Freiburg social scientists in the past three years, former residents of Catholic facilities for the disabled. The interview partners were surveyed in simplified language, or with the help of sign language interpreters. All life up to today in a Catholic institution.

rk/sti (epd/kna)