Not an Isolated Case
How Heinz Survived a Catholic Children’s Home
At the age of six, Heinz was sent to a Caritas home in 1965. He fell into the hands of a sadistic preschool teacher and a sexually violent priest. He was defencelessly exposed to abuse and mistreatment as an orphan. At the age of 16, he left the home: free at last but without any perspectives. He is now 66 years old. Over the past 50 years, he started a family and worked at an occupation. For a long time, he kept what he suffered as a child to himself. Just a few years ago, he started talking about his memories, writing them down and looking for allies in the struggle for justice. He now fights to ensure that the history of guilt in the church homes is finally dealt with. Because Heinz is not an isolated cased. What he has to say speaks for itself – and he speaks for many people.
Christiane Florin tells the story of a man caught between courage, anger and despair. She confronts the institutions with his biography – and only gets lip service. What happened? How was it possible? Who takes responsibility for it? This research is moving.
- True story – personal and an example for other cases
- Perception and recognition of multiple injustices
- Sexual abuse in a children's home
