Huize st.Jozef

Dear Jos,

Just lately I came across all of these things by googling Huize St Joseph. What came up was several pages about sexual abuse!!! I was there during (somewhere in between) 1958 and left there in August 1962. I have tried to put all the memories away and therefore don’t remember various details. I just recently found out that Br. “M” spent some time in jail and passed away some time ago. I was put in the cell down in the basement because I had a fight with the group leader. Br. M released the bed that was controled from the outside. Once I was only in my under pants, he opened the door and told me to come to his room. I sat down on a chair and he gave me a cigarette. When he put his hand on my upper thy, I stood up and as by osmosis walked away back to my cell and got in bed. Later I heard him locking the door. After that he tried to make my life there a living hell. As I am amazed about the stories about actual sexual abuse there, I want everyone to know that the other types of abuse have been very damaging as well as it was for me. I don’t know how much different it would have been if an actual sexual act had occured. The fact that I was so afraid to even mention this to my friends, speaks for itself I think. My life has been “on hold” for as long as I can remember. I have never felt “normal” and I have always had a fear for success. As was case with most of us boys, we ended up in these places as a result of traumatic circumstances in the first place and were very vulnerable. As painful as it is, I am glad that I am working on this in my own head. I would like to be in contact with those who were there when I was there and have good honest diolog with them.
Thanks to all who are active in making these things known.
I hope to hear from you.
With love,
Walter Lichtenberg.