The Berlin experiment of Helmut Kentler, or Legalized pedophilia in German

In 1969, a long-term experiment began in West Berlin, which became an indelible stain on the history of such a science as pedagogy. The author of the study, teacher and psychologist Helmut Kentler, believed that sexual relationships between children and their caregivers are quite normal. Therefore, on his initiative, dozens of street children were given up for adoption to people who were prosecuted for sexual relations with minors.

In the 1960s, the sexual revolution raged in Western countries, including Germany. The authorities went incredibly far in their loyalty - they legalized homosexuality in the country and seriously discussed the decriminalization of pedophilia.

Two political forces - the Green Party and the Free Democratic Party (FDP) demanded the abolition of the criminal law for relations between adults and minors who are over 14 years old.

This is how the founder of the Green Party, Eva Quistorp, later commented on these unique initiatives. One of the most ardent supporters of the legalization of pedophilia was professor of social pedagogy Helmut Kentler. The scientist was considered an authoritative specialist in his field - he published several books, and was also a regular guest at various discussions in television and radio studios.

The professor taught at the University of Hannover for 20 years, and from 1966 to 1974 he was one of the leading specialists at the Pedagogical Center of Berlin, dealing with social issues, including street children. Nowadays, in most countries of the world, Kentler would be behind bars, but in the 60s he was “on horseback” and openly preached unnatural love for teenagers.

According to the professor, if pedophilia is not accompanied by violent actions, it is absolutely natural and cannot be considered a crime, much less a sexual deviation. The scientist was sure that pedophiles have an emotional attachment to children and will be as attentive and kind to them as possible. Helmut Kentler was often brought in as an independent expert in pedophile trials and was proud that of his 30 cases, not a single one resulted in a conviction.

Kentler himself did not hide his homosexuality and pedophilia - he lived with several adopted sons, who, in essence, were his “harem”. In 1969, when the sexual revolution reached its climax, the professor's finest hour struck and, with the permission of the Berlin authorities, he began his monstrous experiment.

The essence of Kentler's project was that children deprived of parental care were given to be raised by men who had a criminal record for molesting minors. Today it is customary to remain silent about this shameful experience, so it is impossible to accurately say the number of participants in the experiment. Only three adoptive parents are known for sure, to whom several boys were given “to be raised.”

Newly appointed guardians received a special allowance from the Berlin authorities. Helmut Kentler wrote in his scientific work that boys between the ages of 13 and 17, who did not have parents or a permanent place of residence, were placed in the care of pedophiles. Almost all of them were illiterate, some suffered from chronic diseases, and some even had mental disabilities.

Kentler personally supervised foster “families” and could not help but know that guardians were having sexual relations with their charges. The professor saw absolutely nothing wrong with this and only made sure that intimate relationships occurred without the use of violence.

Helmut Kentler published a full report on his experiment only in the late 80s. The professor called it successful and noted that all participants gained financial independence and became worthy members of society. The scientist emphasized that none of the teenagers became homosexual. In a report made for the Berlin Senate, Kentler wrote:

Today this disgusting conclusion is in the Berlin Museum of Homosexuality and is considered one of its most valuable exhibits.

As for the general public, they learned the details of the “Berlin experiment” only in 2015, when Kentler had been dead for seven years. Despite the achievements of the sexual revolution, Cantler's experiment was criminal not only from a moral point of view. Until 1994, Germany had a law prohibiting homosexual contacts with persons under 18 years of age.

In 2016, Therese Nentwig, a researcher at the Institute for Democracy Research in Göttingen, at the request of the Berlin Senate, analyzed the Kentler experiment and her conclusions were disappointing. As it turned out, not only the pedophile professor knew about sexual contacts in foster families - both the Senate and the social services of West Berlin were well aware of this.

The task facing Nentvig was not an easy one - the pedophile’s wards, who in 2016 were already adults with their families, did not want to share their memories, and the city authorities tried their best to prevent the details of the disgusting experience from becoming public.

But the woman still managed to communicate with two adopted sons of pedophiles, who said that their “father” regularly raped them. Marco and Sven were adopted in 1989 by a certain Fritz H. At first they were very grateful to their guardian. They lived in a spacious apartment and even had their own computer.

The boys could not even dream of such happiness, because no one wanted to adopt them due to health problems. But very soon the idyll ended - Fritz H. began beating and raping his adopted children. The fate of Marco and Sven refutes all the optimistic reports of Kentler - they did not receive an education, worked in low-paid jobs and suffered from psychological problems.

In 2017, former students of Fritz H. gave an interview to Der Spiegel and Germany, and then the whole world learned about their tragic fate. In total, five boys passed through the hands of this pervert from 1973 to 2003. Fritz himself died in 2015, so it was not possible to hold him accountable. Now Marco and Sven are raising money to sue the city authorities.

Oddly enough, Kentler's terrible experiment did not affect the attitude towards the professor in the German scientific community. After his death, obituaries wrote that he was a "champion of permissive sexual morality" who "embodied the humanistic task of sex education."

Cases of children being adopted by pedophiles are not uncommon, but for the first time in the history of modern society this happened with the approval of the state.