Henk Heithuis
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Henk Heithuis | |
|---|---|
 Henk Heithuis on the phone | |
| Born | 1935 |
| Died | 28 October 1958 (aged 22–23) |
| Occupation | Sailor |
| Known for | Victim of clerical sexual abuse |
Henk Heithuis (1935 – 28 October 1958) was a Dutch student of a Catholic boarding school and victim of sexual abuse. He was castrated on the orders of the Catholic church in order to be cured of his homosexuality.[1]
Henk Heithuis was born a child of divorce and was from the first year of his life educated at orphanages and boarding schools in the southern Netherlands. The boarding school "Saint Vincent" in Harreveld[2] which was run by the Catholic church, was subsequently investigated for sexual abuse of minors by priests. Heithuis, like other children there, learned handcrafts in the years 1950–1953.[3]
Sexual abuse
On 30 January 1956, Heithuis filed a criminal complaint against the friars of the boarding school at Harreveld. He accused them of having abused him sexually in the years 1951–1953, when he was a student.[4] Also, in 1955 after he had already finished his school days he went back to the boarding school during the weekends because his family didn't want to take care of him. Also during these weekends sexual acts between the monks and Henk took place.[4]
Castration
The criminal complaint resulted in Heithuis being accused of having seduced the monks. Thereupon he was committed to a Roman Catholic psychiatric hospital, Huize Padua in Boekel.[4][5]
As part of his treatment he was castrated. The surgery took place at St. Joseph Hospital in Veghel. Heithuis was 20 years old and then a minor under applicable Dutch law.[4]
