For nearly 40 years, a secretive colony in the Chilean countryside hid unspeakable horrors: child abuse, torture, and a twisted legacy of Nazism. Colonia Dignidad, led by ex-Nazi Paul Schäfer, thrived not just as a cult but as a brutal tool of oppression during Chile’s Pinochet regime. How did this enclave evade justice for so long—and why did the Chilean government turn a blind eye, or worse, offer its support?

In a story that goes right to the heart of the German and Chilean governments, what justice can the victims themselves hope for?

In this episode: 
Winfried Hempel, (@WinfriedHempel), Lawyer and Colonia Dignidad Survivor
Evelyn Hevia, (@evelynheviajordan), Colonia Dignidad Researcher

Episode credits:

This episode was written and produced by Anna Staufenberg and hosted by Halla Mohieddeen. 

Executive Producer: Ney Alvarez.

Production Managers: Bronte Baskin.

Senior Producers: Marthe van der Wolf and Bronte Baskin.

Post-Production Supervisor: Andrés Rivera

Assistant Producers: Leo Danczak, Sophie McNulty, and Catherine Nouhan.

Fact-checking by Ruby Zaman.

Translation by Diana Larrea Maccise.

Audio editing by Alan Leer.

Music composition by Tom Biddle.

Lead of Engagement: Aya Elmileik.

Engagement Producers: Adam Abou-Gad, Munera AlDosari, and Vienna Maglio.

Al Jazeera’s Head of Audio: Ney Alvarez.

Connect with us:

@AJEPodcasts on Instagram, X, Facebook and YouTube

For nearly 40 years, a secretive colony in the Chilean countryside hid unspeakable horrors: child abuse, torture, and a twisted legacy of Nazism. Colonia Dignidad, led by ex-Nazi Paul Sch&auml;fer, thrived not just as a cult but as a brutal tool of oppression during Chile&rsquo;s Pinochet regime. How did this enclave evade justice for so long&mdash;and why did the Chilean government turn a blind eye, or worse, offer its support?
In a story that goes right to the heart of the German and Chilean governments, what justice can the victims themselves hope for?
In this episode:&nbsp;
<ul>
<li>Winfried Hempel, (<a href="https://x.com/winfriedhempel?lang=en-GB">@WinfriedHempel</a>), Lawyer and Colonia Dignidad Survivor</li>
<li>Evelyn Hevia, (<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/evelynheviajordan/">@evelynheviajordan</a>), Colonia Dignidad Researcher</li>
</ul>
Episode credits:
This episode was written and produced by Anna Staufenberg and hosted by Halla Mohieddeen.&nbsp;
Executive Producer: Ney Alvarez.
Production Managers: Bronte Baskin.
Senior Producers: Marthe van der Wolf and Bronte Baskin.
Post-Production Supervisor: Andr&eacute;s Rivera
Assistant Producers: Leo Danczak, Sophie McNulty, and Catherine Nouhan.
Fact-checking by Ruby Zaman.
Translation by Diana Larrea Maccise.
Audio editing by Alan Leer.
Music composition by Tom Biddle.
Lead of Engagement: Aya Elmileik.
Engagement Producers: Adam Abou-Gad, Munera AlDosari, and Vienna Maglio.
Al Jazeera&rsquo;s Head of Audio: Ney Alvarez.
Connect with us:
@AJEPodcasts on<a href="https://www.instagram.com/ajepodcasts/"> Instagram</a>,<a href="https://x.com/AJEPodcasts"> X</a>,<a href="https://www.facebook.com/AJEPodcasts"> Facebook</a> and<a href="https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLzGHKb8i9vTwJ_Smu6j10KfJZjhLPbHYj&amp;si=c15FexUGHQDp7T1_"> YouTube</a>

This is immersive true crime, done differently. True Crime Reports brings you crime stories from the global south and beyond; tales of corruption, power, and injustice that often haven’t reached headlines in the West.

Hosted by journalist Halla Mohieddeen, each week you’ll be taken to countries like Peru, South Africa, Syria, and Cambodia, hearing from eyewitnesses, journalists, and family members right at the heart of these stories.

This is immersive true crime, done differently. True Crime Reports brings you crime stories from the global south and beyond; tales of corruption, power, and injustice that often haven’t reached headlines in the West.
Hosted by journalist Halla Mohieddeen, each week you’ll be taken to countries like Peru, South Africa, Syria, and Cambodia, hearing from eyewitnesses, journalists, and family members right at the heart of these stories.

True Crime Reports

This is immersive true crime, done differently. True Crime Reports by Al Jazeera brings you crime stories from the global south and beyond. Tales of corruption, power, and injustice that often haven’t reached headlines in the West, told by those who were there.

This is immersive true crime, done differently. True Crime Reports by Al Jazeera brings you crime stories from the global south and beyond. Tales of corruption, power, and injustice that often haven’t reached headlines in the West, told by those who were there.