On the road with a crime scene cleaner
Our reporter can't let go of this blatant twist
Suddenly I smell loneliness, bodily fluids and death.
For Dennis Pape-Lange, this is everyday life. The crime scene cleaner is called when no one else can help. I accompanied him in his work – and the feeling that this experience left behind still stays with me today. You can see how the operation went in the video.
When life ends unnoticed
The first thing that strikes me when we enter the house in Obernkirchen (Lower Saxony) is the smell. Uncomfortable, but still bearable. I find the condition of the house much more depressing: Garbage everywhere, cluttered rooms, a bathroom that looks like it hasn't been used in weeks or even months. It's not a classic hoarder's apartment, but it quickly becomes clear that the 60-something-year-old man who lived here was lonely and neglected.
Reading tip: Scrubbing away blood in the crime scene cleaning course: This is how cleaning a murder scene works
Dennis Pape-Lange, 31 years old and a crime scene cleaner in the Rinteln district for two and a half years, tells me that he wants to know as little as possible about the people whose traces he removes. “I think of it as dirt, which is harder to get rid of.” But I never think of the fact that a total human being was lying here.”he says. I can understand that – being too close would probably make the job unbearable.
As a real estate agent, Dennis Pape-Lange came into contact with the question of who should remove the traces of a dead person – today he does that.
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I'm curious myself, I have to admit. I look at what Dennis is doing, how he is bringing the room back to a condition that is bearable. But could I use a sponge myself? I doubt it. The idea of actually touching the marks, wiping them away – that's another level.
“It has to be done”
Dennis works at the site with a mask, protective suit and special cleaner. Every movement seems routine, but also deliberate. Why do you choose a job that most people couldn't even imagine? “It definitely has to be done – and professionally,” he explains. “I always think that this before and after effect is good.” And you can clearly see how relieved the clients are at the end.”
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As I watch the crime scene cleaner working with concentration and routine, I realize how unusual and at the same time intimate this job is. He works in a space that is full of traces of life – a life that ended lonely. It's quiet, almost oppressive, and I admire how he masters the task that would probably be unimaginable for most people.
“At some point people can no longer escape this cycle of neglect,” says Dennis Pape-Lange.
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I'll look around a bit. How might the man who died here have lived? The cluttered kitchen, the closed shutters – everything seems as if he had completely cut himself off from the world. Dennis says this is the classic case. “Many people are ashamed and no longer allow their relatives to be kept in check.” They shut down completely.”
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A wake-up call for more attention
Although I didn't find the shoot to be too stressful at the time, I could hardly sleep the night after. I kept thinking about how terrible it must be to die completely alone and unnoticed. Was the 60-year-old hoping for help? Or did he really not want to see anyone anymore? The room, the day – they tell a story of isolation that hits me.
Maybe this is the message I take away from this day: We should pay more attention to each other, especially with people who are withdrawn. A short conversation, a quick question, a “How are you?” Sometimes just one more look is enough to break through loneliness.
