System Crasher

Nine-year-old Benni exhibits aggressive, explosive outbursts whenever her face is touched, a defensive response rooted in a childhood trauma. The social worker notes nappies pressed into her face, which explains why even small touch triggers rage. This pattern makes Benni a chronic challenge for school and foster care.

Benni is repeatedly suspended from her special school and cannot be housed by any foster family or residential group. The summary frames her as a 'system crasher', likely to fall through the cracks of the German support system. Her case highlights gaps between needs and services.

Benni longs to be with Bianca, her mother, who lives with the abusive Jens and has two younger children. Bianca is overwhelmed and concerned about Benni's influence on her other kids. This tension drives Benni's repeated attempts to reconnect with her family.

Benni runs away, hitch-hiking back to her siblings. She shows care by switching to a children's channel and cooking for them, revealing a softer side. When Bianca returns with Jens, Benni erupts, attacking Jens with a vase and then the mother, who calls the police. Jens retaliates by striking Benni and locking her in a wardrobe until the police arrive.

The social services appoint Frau Bafané and hire an anger-management trainer, Michael Heller, a boxing fan who has worked with male delinquents. His assignment is to accompany Benni to school. This marks the start of a more structured intervention.

Micha accompanies Benni to school as part of the intervention plan. He provides a stable, attentive presence and tries to engage with her. Benni begins to respond, though she continues to test boundaries.

After further violent outbursts, Micha takes Benni to a lodge in the woods where he has previously worked with other offenders. The new environment challenges her, but he gradually engages with her in a different context. The dynamic highlights the tension between professional distance and the bond she forms with him.

At the end of the visit, Benni clings to Micha and wants to stay with him. Micha struggles with maintaining professional boundaries while acknowledging her progress. Frau Bafané argues to keep him involved because there are so few people on Benni's side.

Bianca tells the social workers she will take Benni home, but later reveals fear of Benni and does not want her at home. She exits a case meeting abruptly, leaving Frau Bafané to break the news to Benni. Benni remains largely unaware of the deeper disappointment.

A placement with a previous foster mother ends badly when Benni seriously injures a foster child who unknowingly touches her face. The incident underscores how difficult it is to place Benni safely and protect others from her triggers. The failure pushes plans toward emergency care.

As a short-term measure, Benni is returned to emergency accommodation. There are no specialist boarding schools for a child as young as Benni, and a stay abroad in Kenya is discussed as a last resort. The prospect of long-term separation adds urgency and uncertainty to her future.

Benni flees to Micha and his family, who agree to shelter her for one night. In the morning, she helps feed the baby and shows no fear when the infant touches her face. Elli, the baby's mother, tries to reclaim the infant, triggering Benni's aggression and prompting Micha to intervene.

Benni locks herself in the bathroom and escapes through the window, running into the nearby woods in nightclothes. Hours later she is found hypothermic and taken to the hospital. The episode underscores the fragility of her situation and the ongoing search for a safe resolution.

At the airport, Benni resists a Kenya-bound future and runs from security, choosing her own path forward. The last shot shows Benni leaping into the air with a bright, uncertain smile as the frame freezes and cracks like broken glass, leaving her next chapter open-ended.