The German government’s Federal Commissioner for the Prevention of Abuse, Kerstin Claus, is advocating for a state-funded basic pension for former child residents of care homes. Drawing comparisons to Austria’s existing support program, Claus stated that Austria’s provision of €300 monthly payments to former care home residents is a positive model.
Between the 1950s and 1960s, an estimated 800,000 children and adolescents were placed in care facilities across both East and West Germany. Survivors have consistently reported instances of systematic abuse within these institutions, including forced labor, psychological and physical maltreatment and sexual offenses.
Claus highlighted a persistent injustice stemming from the fact that survivors, due to restrictions on child labor during their time in care, have been unable to claim corresponding pension entitlements. She described this as a situation where individuals have been effectively disenfranchised twice – once during their childhood and again later in life. The traumatic experiences often prevented former residents from establishing stable careers, leading to many facing poverty in old age.
Emphasizing the urgency of the situation, Claus called on the state to implement swift and practical solutions, particularly given the advanced age of many affected individuals.
In an interview with the “Neue Osnabrücker Zeitung” (NOZ), Claus criticized the lack of state compensation to date, characterizing it as a significant failure. She described the withholding of support as disrespectful and dehumanizing to survivors. Claus stressed the state’s responsibility, given its placement of children into care facilities operated by religious and private entities, often with insufficient oversight of conditions within those facilities.