This episode is going to focus on the aspects of institutional violence and retraumatisation of the Afstandsmoeders and Afstandskinderen in the Netherlands as – obviously – their journey did not end the moment they have left the mother-baby-homes. Several situations in their lives can be triggers of what has happened in the past.
Dr. Sietske Dijkstra is a psychologist and was working at the University of Utrecht for ten years in the field of women studies, specifically domestic violence, sexual abuse and its long term consequences. She is a professional researcher with focus on the topics of violation, safety and trauma. In the year 1998, she has founded the Dijkstra Agency that researches among others domestic violence, gender-based violence and high conflict divorce. Furthermore, Sietske Dijkstra was part of the Commission Samson in the Netherlands that was investigating sexual abuse of children in residential and foster care after 1945.
Website Dr. Sietske Dijkstra: http://www.sietske-dijkstra.com/

Special thanks for the voice-over to Martina Novak: https://www.martinan.com/

Produced by Sarah Tekath in collaboration with Broadcast Amsterdam
More information: https://broadcastamsterdam.nl/shows/separated-by-force/

© Sarah Tekath/Broadcast Amsterdam