A Secret Dark Chapter In Swiss History

I'd never heard about this some more. Certainly some ugly business. (pic: Courtesy Ursula Biondi)

For Young Swiss Rebels, A Dark Chapter In History : NPR: "Switzerland is known for its idyllic alpine landscape, its neutrality and its secret private banks. But there are also darker secrets. For many years — until the 1980s — thousands of rebellious or disruptive youths were locked up without trial. The authorities called it 'administrative detention.' But in reality, the kids were put in prison or labor camps. ... Biondi's father, a construction worker, had to scrape to come up with the 7,000 francs for the so-called tuition fee for what authorities called an "educational program" for his "promiscuous" daughter. Prison officials told Biondi her baby would be put up for adoption. Her mother soon demanded her daughter's release, and after a year, Biondi was reunited with her infant son and released from jail. Her tale is one of thousands suffered by Swiss youth subjected to administrative detention. It was a practice started in the 1880s and lasted until the early 1980s. Now, after decades of silence, many victims today are demanding accountability — and compensation for damaged lives."