A few years ago, the once highly-regarded and elite Odenwald School in Germany closed its doors forever. The reason: two former pupils, long since grown-up, had gone public with the terrible details of their experiences while at the school. Their accounts of sexual abuse turned out to be just the start of a shocking scandal which shone a light on a long list of other victims and perpetrators.
Former pupils break their silence
It all began when two courageous former pupils, Andreas Huckele and Thorsten Wiest, sent a letter to Gerold Becker, former director of Odenwald School, in 1998. In the letter, they accused the former director of having sexually abused them during their school years from 1980 to 1988. It later transpired that they were not the only victims – and the director was not the only perpetrator.
The boarding school tried to protect its good reputation and sweep the situation under the carpet, initially with some success. Even an article in the Frankfurter Rundschau newspaper had no impact. It was only over a decade later, when the media reported the terrible accusations once again, that the issue attracted major attention, and the systematic reappraisal finally began.
According to an investigation, more than 500 – and possibly up to 1,000 – pupils were victims of sexualised violence between 1960 and 2000.
What happened?
The former pupils reported male and female teachers regularly visiting the children in their rooms or “ordering” them in their rooms. It can only be imagined what happened there. The teachers also supplied the pupils with alcohol and other drugs. When the children confided in their parents, the school director represented them as liars and threatened them with expulsion.
The perpetrators
The reappraised files and data made it possible to conclude that there were at least 24 perpetrators amongst the educational and technical staff of Odenwald School. Contrary to widespread assumptions, the perpetrators at the elite boarding school were not exclusively men; the documents clearly highlight the fact that there were at least five female perpetrators.
The modern school
Odenwald School in Germany was considered a showcase for innovative educational approaches. It made it its goal to educate pupils in an open, democratic environment designed to support creativity and independence. It was particularly open towards the latest educational fads; the school generously accepted young people from all social levels, and gave parents hope of their children receiving the best education and successful careers. The Odenwald School had created its own system as an elite school, and outsiders dared not question it.
Dangerous educational approaches
The problematic views of Helmut Kentler have been highlighted in a past article by Hope For The Future. The highly-regarded and influential psychologist and sexual scientist caused a rethink in Germany from the 1960s onwards. He represented the opinion that “gentle caring” for children could be expressed sexually. Parents and legal guardians should introduce children to sexuality in practical ways and means. His book contained, amongst other things, practical exercises for sexual education at schools. Numerous researchers, artists, priests and educators shared Kentler’s views, which had fatal consequences for children and young people at this time. This concept of a new kind of “sexual education” was implemented at Odenwald School.
The power of School Director Becker
Despite having no educational qualifications, Gerold Becker was the director of the school from 1972 to 1985. A theologian, he understood how to sell modern teaching, focused on closeness, communication, equality and creativity. He was charming, and parents and pupils alike placed great trust in him. Teachers who were critical of him were placed at a disadvantage and bullied until he let them go. His authority made it possible for him to do whatever he wanted. He created a faculty of the like-minded. The Odenwald School had been a “nest of paedophiles”, who had understood themselves as caring and devoted educators.
Reappraisal came too late
Once a trailblazer of reform education, the school did not recover from the covered-up scandals, and was forced to register as bankrupt. The private school stopped operating in 2015, and the premises are now, as far as is known, being used as a residential and vacation park.
“Odenwald School could not have a future, since it did not dedicate itself to the reappraisal of the crimes“, as the judgement of the researchers put it. The school management had always tried to clarify the incidents internally. The reappraisal of the incidents should have happened much earlier, but people continued to look in the other direction for too long.
The events not only shaped the lives of those affected, but also initiated an important discourse about child protection and the responsibility of teachers at educational institutions.
Translated by Tim Lywood
#Odenwaldschule #Missbrauch #Kindesmissbrauch #Eliteschule #AgainstHumanTrafficking #GegenMenschenhandel #EndExploitation #EndTrafficking #HopeForTheFuture #Österreich