Open Letter To Oskar Deutsch : I TRUST THAT YOU WILL DO WHAT’S RIGHT

 

o.deutsch@ikg-wien.at

office@ikg-wien.at

Dear Oskar,

I hope this email finds you well.

I am sure you are aware of the tragic case of the Schlesinger twins – Sammi and Benji - who were forcibly taken away at the age of 2 years old from their mother Beth. This happened in your very own community in Vienna, more than 10 years ago. Beth is and has always been a loving, caring and devoted mother to her twin boys, and is still fighting for them more than 10 years on.

I am not sure if you have heard of John Bowlby a world renowned psychologist, psychiatrist, and psychoanalyst, notable for his interest in child development and for his pioneering work in attachment theory. In his theory he writes the following ‘Bowlby's maternal deprivation hypothesis suggests that continual disruption of the attachment between infant and primary caregiver (i.e. mother) could result in long term cognitive, social, and emotional difficulties for that infant. Bowlby originally believed the effects to be permanent and irreversible’.

Beth’s boys will have suffered huge long term psychological damage as a result of what has happened to them, with their strong attachment and bond to Beth being broken in their crucial years of early development. Unfortunately we cannot change what has happened in the past, but we can act now, and I urge you as the President of the Jewish Community of Vienna to use your influence for the good to do the right thing and ensure that Beth is united once again with her twin boys. It is only then that the damage done to these boys can start to slowly be repaired and healed.

I trust that you will do what’s right for these boys and Beth who have suffered for long enough.

If you have any further questions, feel free to be in touch.

Kind regards,

Danielle Lamski