“Keep Quiet and Forgive,” a documentary from director Sarah McClure based on her groundbreaking reporting about sexual abuse within the intensely secretive Amish community, is a story of resilience and the transformative power of survivors who break their silence in the face of unimaginable oppression.
The film, which premiered on PBS earlier this year and had multiple showings at the Milwaukee Film Festival, is an offshoot of investigative journalist McClure’s 2020 exposé – “The Amish Keep to Themselves. And They’re Hiding a Horrifying Secret,” – that she wrote for Cosmopolitan. The story stemmed from a year-long investigation that identified more than 50 official cases of child sexual assault across multiple states.
McClure’s reporting came amidst increased scrutiny of abuse within the Plain Sect communities, which includes the Amish and Mennonites, known for their insular reclusiveness that’s deeply rooted in their religious commitment to separation from the modern world. She made her directorial debut with the film, and was so drawn to the subject that she relocated from Los Angeles to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, home to the one of the largest Amish communities in the United States, and also the oldest.
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Shot over five years across several states, including Wisconsin, the primary subject of “Keep Quiet and Forgive ”is Lizzie Hershberger, an Amish woman who drums up the courage to speak out and confront her community three decades after being sexually abused. She pursued charges against her abuser, who received a sentence of a mere 45 days in jail and 10 years of probation in 2019 for sexual crimes committed against Hershberger while living in Minnesota.
Hershberger has authored a book, “Behind Blue Curtains,” which recounts her experience of surviving abuse and the long road to recovery. Since the book’s release, Hershberger has gained national recognition for her story and work as a victim-advocate.
In the film, it’s revealed that, as a young girl living in an Amish community, Hershberger began keeping a diary denoting the days when she was raped, which she circled in red. In one year alone, Hershberger, then 14, circled 26 days in red.
Speaking to an audience at the Downer Theatre following a screening of “Keep Quiet and Forgive,” McClure described Hershberger as the inspiration for the documentary.
“She was somebody who not only did the thing that was impossible, which is leave the community and come out the other side in one piece, but she went and got accountability for what happened to her,” McClure said. “She also inspired women across the country. She was not afraid to speak out. She’s an extraordinary person. Through her, we met these other amazing, inspiring figures.”
Hershberger, who was also in attendance, spoke about what finally drove her to speak about the abuse she endured.
“I was so used as a child. I have no memory of not being sexually assaulted,” she said. “But as I got older and I became a mom, I thought this is not right, and I am not going to stand by. I just knew that if I don’t say anything, and I still live in this community, then who’s going to step up?”
Hershberger said she receives hate mail as a result of speaking out.
Among the other figures featured in the film is Katrina, who faces intense pressure to drop charges against her rapist. Born in Pennsylvania to an Old Order Mennonite couple, Katrina later moved to Wisconsin with her family and was raised in the Mennonite faith. Excommunicated and disowned at the age of eighteen after exposing the sexual assault she suffered in the community, she was left to find her own way, a difficult proposition given that educational opportunities for Amish and Mennonite girls often end at eighth grade.
Katrina also appeared in person for the Q&A following the film.
“In Marathon County, when my case was brought before a judge, a police officer told me that Plain people have religious freedom, so they can’t touch cases like this. Now, I am working with the district attorney there and law enforcement and I have seen great improvement. In 2023, it doesn’t matter if your Plain – if you commit a crime in the United States, you answer to those laws.”
In spite of what has happened, Hershberger said she has an appreciation for having been raised Amish. “I learned how to work hard. I know how to bake bread and milk a cow, which came in very handy during the (COVID-19) lockdown,” she said.
Katrina shared a similar sentiment about her Mennonite upbringing. “I love being able to make my own things and garden,” she said. “And once I’m able to have a bigger property, it’s always been my dream to be able to raise my own meat.”
The sexual abuse wasn’t limited to girls. The film also features Menno, who shares his heart-wrenching story of abuse, the loss of leaving and his ongoing effort to recover.
Overall, “Keep Quiet and Forgive” offers a message of support and hope to survivors who have faced a culture of victim shaming and blaming.
“Keep Quiet and Forgive” is available on PBS.
