“Look into the Kastl”: Oppressive “Polizeiruf 110” (today, 8:15 p.m. on ARD) about abuse

“Nothing happened. Henrik made it all up,” a mother explains to the speechless Rostock investigators (Anneke Kim Sarnau, Lina Beckmann). Her son, who was 15 years old at the time, had told her about the father’s abuse of his 6-year-old sister, whom he had witnessed. It is the final scene in the crime thriller “Polizeiruf 110: Only Ghosts”, which is dedicated to the topic of child abuse. Like a puzzle, part by part creates a whole. The trail of a brutal murder leads to Jessie’s disappearance as a teenager 15 years ago. To her mother (Judith Engel as transparent as a ghost teetering on the edge of madness), her father, who seems strangely untouched, and her politely reserved brother (Adrian Grünewald), who knows more than he admits. An episode that wraps you in permanent discomfort by telling the oppressive story of looking away, denying and repressing. At the same time, it is an appeal to look closely, listen and take responsibility. Not a relaxing evening of watching TV, but a meaningful one.