Noah Dejanović suffered sexualized violence from his mother as a child and ran away from home at age 11. Today, at 22, he campaigns for aspiring teachers to better recognize signs of abuse. In seminars at universities like Halle, he raises awareness among students on the issue.
Noah Dejanović's life changed dramatically when his parents separated, and he grew up with his mother. At age 11, he endured a traumatic incident: his mother forced him to watch porn with her, held him down, and threatened to break his neck. He fought back and fled to his room. School became a safe haven for him, but he grew withdrawn and distant. Looking back, he wishes teachers had approached him: "Noah, you seem absent or withdrawn lately; I'm worried. Is something wrong?"
Today, Dejanović advocates for better training for aspiring teachers. Statistically, one to two children per class experience sexual violence, with the Interior Ministry reporting 16,354 cases in 2023. Interior Minister Alexander Dobrindt stated: "The numbers are high, very high." Many incidents go unreported, as abuse remains a taboo. The topic is largely absent from teacher training; seminars like the one in Halle are voluntary. Together with Katja Sturm from the Child Protection Association, Dejanović explains warning signs: aggression, self-harm, sudden weight changes.
Dejanović, who aims to become a teacher, was named Student of the Year 2025 by the German University Association. He told his father via a note and struggled to speak in court. After his talk to 250 students in Halle, he felt exhausted but fulfilled: "This sense of agency, in the sense that: I'm contributing somehow so that this doesn't happen to other children and youth or that they get help earlier, that's an incredibly good feeling." Thanks to therapy, he can speak openly and plans to visit more universities. Students like Saskia Siemonsen and Tarek Zimmermann value the input but call for more integration into studies. Elementary teacher Julia Zeugner regrets the low attendance: "In every class, children have such problems."
