Trial against racist janitor of a refugee camp in Nurenberg

Zirndorf is the reception camp for the refugees in Nuremberg, it is indeed shocking for such an institution constructed for the protection and registration of the refugees to condone the sexual harrassments subjected to women refugees by the male janitors and other male officers working there. It was dreadful when this man called schmall a janitor in Zirndorf suddenely opened my door very early in the morning and started begging for sex in the camp. The man made it a habit and budged into my room every day at seven o´clock in the morning, and subjected me to offending sexual harrassments and never stopped until the day I left Zirndorf on 22 October 2001.

I reported the incident to the authorities in Zirndorf and the social worker in position to look into the matter and investigate it further dismissed my complaints as mere concoctions against her Germany counterpart. She said and I quote "these men have been working here with us for twenty years, and I have never heard of such accusations. I don't believe these African women they are lying and will do anything to obtain a stay in Germany, these women are foreigners and the men here are Germans it is unbelievable and I will not have it". She generalised it into thin air.

I faced intimidation and was left hanging regarding communicating such atrocities befalling me here in Germany to the authorities. I rested the case and tried to block it out of my mind until the same incident resurfaced in another camp on Schloss Street in Nuremberg where I was transferred. This time it was more ruthless than in zirndorf, the man was also a janitor called Rochel; Rochel was obssessed with having sex with me up to the point of sneaking into my bed at the wee hours of the morning.

The master key in the camps in Nuremberg

The master key availed to the caretakers in the camps is a symbol of conquer and psychological torment towards the women refugees. It is a nightmare how these men used that key to undress me of my freedom and the sense of security I deserved as a human being. On a daily basis he freely opened my door with the master key at six o´clock every morning and I endured the sexual harrassments of this caretaker on Schloss Street in Nuremberg.

He would abuse me and threaten me and I quote "here in Germany no one will ever believe you a mere African and an asylum seeker over a Germany citizen like me, I am a Germany, you against a Germany citizen, forget it no one will take that into account you will die trying". That was his response when I told him I will inform the authorities.

This man continued to molest me sexually and the fear instigated in me by the massive racism and discrimination I faced in many institutions in Nuremberg dominated my senses and tension mounted. He was abetted by the fact that I was on deportation roll since 2002 therefore he knew very well that reporting his brutal and horrible behaviour to the police would mean immediate deportation for me. He said "you are in no position to go to the police because you will be deported and when you are back in Uganda in Africa or wherever you come from who will you report to then?" It was deportation, sexual harrassments, and brutal attacks in the immigration office.

Rochel would hide the food packets and other commodities meant for the refugees and use them to entice women for sex. He would ask the women to expose their breasts or allow him to touch their bodies before he would release the products. Many of these caretakers would open women´s rooms very early in the morning and pull the blankets off their bodies and then claim to search for illegal immigrants. Such horrible humiliation and more are endured by many women in the camps in Nuremberg. I started asking around and I was shocked by what the women have decided to keep at bay in fear of being deported, failing their asylum cases or turning the events against them because we are Aliens living in camps.

These men are not encountered on the streets but in the sleeping quarters where they are employed to see to our well being. I endured this man´s humiliation from 2001 to 2004 when I was transferred to another camp where I still reside. In 2004, he called the police on me because I refused to agree to his cruel sexual advances. He told me the day I arrived on Schloss street that he was allowing me to stay in a room by myself so that I don't forget him in the future.

In 2004 I interacted with the Karawane and the Anti Lagerland associations fighting for the human rights of the refugees and the closure of the camps in Germany as they are infested with atrocities and abuses to the human rights. People in these organisations opened my eyes that there could be justice against this man and questions must be raised regarding his savagish behaviour. Claudia accompanied me to the police in 2007 where I made a statement against Rochel. It is now eight years later that the case has successfully reached the rightful place in the institution of justice.

Although the ugliness of the psychological abuse and horrible discrimination in the camps would never be erased from my mind, and I personally disagree with the slogan that Nuremberg is a city that respects the human rights without discrimination when it is harbouring numberless filthy camps not fit for human accommodation. It is indeed a step forward to realize this case in the court of law against Rochel.

The process takes place on two days in the district court of Nuremberg-Fuerth Tuesday 13 January 2009 at 0900hours and Thursday 15 January 2009 at 0900hours respectively. The honourable court is situated at Fuerther Street 110 and the main entrance is situated at Baerenschanze 72 along Fuerther Street in Nuremberg.

I call upon all human rights supporters and those who believe in truth and justice to come and witness the atrocities committed by these so called housemasters and how their behaviour have been embedded along the colour line beacuse we are foreigners without a voice. Rochel is a symbol of discrimination and massive racism just as the camps symbolise sexual abuse, degradation and oppression to the refugees who are further suppressed by the border restrictions (Residenz Pflicht) to hinder any form of assistance or interaction with the outside world.

I humbly call upon all women out their abused and terrified of the shame and the humiliation, to come out in the open and conquer that fear so that together we can find a solution, protect ourselves and save our children from these shameless creatures. Who disguise the camps for their selfish egos and call them refugee houses when indeed they harbour filth and indespicable atrocities to the refugees.

Together we must fight for truth and justice for all and realise a true discrimination free zone in the city of Nuremberg.

Location: Saal 128 im Landgericht Nürnberg, Fürtherstr.110 (U-Bahn: Barenschänzstr.)

Regina Kiwanuka RBK, 23. Dec 2008, Article published first @ :: thecaravan.org