EXCLUSIVE: German Homeschooler Talks
By Dale Hurd
CBN News
May 13, 2007
CBNNews.com -- ERLANGEN, Germany -- A few months ago we told about the German homeschool girl who was taken from her parents and placed in a mental hospital.
Because of our story and others like it, there's been a new development in the case.
Three months ago, 15-year-old German homeschool student Melissa Busekros was taken from her family in a SWAT-style police raid.
She was placed in a mental hospital in Nuremberg and diagnosed with what German officials called "school phobia."
Her Christian home environment was deemed to be dangerous, and she was placed in foster care.
Homeschooling is illegal in Germany, and CBN News has shown you German homeschoolers who have been fined several thousand Euros and thrown in jail.
Click player to watch report and to hear Gordon Robertson weigh in.
But the newest tactic by the German government is taking children from their parents.
Melissa was taken away by more than a dozen police officers in what some labeled an abduction.
But on April 23, Melissa turned 16.
And just after midnight, she packed her suitcase, escaped through a bedroom window and simply walked away from her foster home.
She found her way to her parents' house.
Because she is now 16, and because of international outrage over the treatment of the Busekros family, local officials have so far not moved to take her away again.
Melissa sat down and talked with us in her home in Bavaria.
She said, "I was taken from my family by, I think, more than 15 policemen, and it wasn't nice to be away…I couldn't phone my family and I didn't know where I was."
A state psychiatric evaluation of Melissa said that, along with her alleged "school phobia," she is too obedient and too devoted to her father, and that is deemed a mental disorder.
The evaluation said that Melissa is "a highly disturbed girl who obediently and faithfully obeys the idealistic statements of the father and who describes the State as being despotic and 'fascist-like'."
It adds, with a concerned tone, that "Melissa demonstrates loyalty towards her father and unconditional solidarity with her family."
We asked Melissa if she ever wondered if she indeed had mental problems like officials said she did.
"No," she said, "I always knew I wasn't stupid or crazy."
Her case sparked international outrage and led to a massive phone, e-mail, and letter-writing campaign to German officials, as well as an outpouring of support for the Busekros family, for which they are very thankful.
Her mother Gudrun said, "A lot of letters came from the United States. Most of the letters came from there, even with invitations to come to their house and live with them if we want to escape. This was so nice."
Melissa says that when she was away from her family, she learned to cast her cares upon God.
"What I learned is you have to trust 'in everything God,' and that He is the first position in your life," Melissa said.
Her mother Gudrun is just thankful to have her daughter back.
"I know it's written in the Bible that for those who love God, everything will work together for good," Gudrun said, "and I'm sure this verse is true."
It would be nice if we could say that this story had a happy ending, but the story is not over yet, and the police could return and take Melissa away again.
Hubert, Melissa's father, said, "Yes, this is possible. They can come at any time and take Melissa again. Our situation is very uncertain, and for this reason we can't relax."
Christian attorney Joel Thornton is helping defend the Busekros.
Thornton said, "I think a proper analogy with Melissa's case is we're at half-time and we have a lead. There's a lot of action going on and the fear is that it could still end up with Melissa back in custody."
CBN News: Will you go with them if they come back?
Melissa: No, not by myself. When they forced me, OK, I couldn't do anything. But I don't want to go again.
CBN News: So are you saying they'll have to take you by force?
Melissa: Yes.
Germany continues to resist international pressure to allow homeschooling.
And CBN News has learned that Germany's treatment of homeschoolers will be mentioned in next year's U.S. State Department annual report on human rights violations.
Melissa's attorney, Johannes Hildebrandt, says that the local judge in the case erred by relying on what he calls a "pseudo-examination" of Melissa that found her to be mentally ill.
Hildebrandt said, "That's ridiculous."
The Busekros family just hopes that the German government will somehow leave them alone.
"I feel very relieved to have my daughter back here," said Gudrun. "And, we just feel complete again."
So for now, Melissa Busekros is home. But how long she can remain with her parents is still uncertain.
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