Meisjes van de Goede Herder

Former pupils Lies, Joke and Roos tell how they ended up in one of the homes of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd in the 1960s. They had to work hard six days a week at the sewing machine or in the laundry and the nuns proved to be ruthlessly strict. Now, years later, the women investigate what can still be found of this past. Can they find any other witnesses who know more?

Together with seventeen other girls from that time, Lies, Joke and Roos decide to file a lawsuit against the sisters of the Good Shepherd because of the poor treatment and forced labor to which they were victims. To find more fellow sufferers and collect evidence, they delve deep into the past. The current Dutch director Hubert of the congregation and his lawyer are also preparing for the lawsuit.

During the investigation, Joke discovers that the cemetery at the monastery in Zoeterwoude has been cleared by soldiers. They made a remarkable discovery at the time, which almost no one knows about. Canadian professor Rie Croll is coming to the Netherlands. She wants to demonstrate the connection between abuses in Good Shepherd monasteries worldwide. The shadows of the past still weigh heavily on the minds of the women, the current leadership of the congregation and the few nuns who are still alive. Emotional scenes take place in the courtroom.

After three years, the judge rules in the lawsuit filed by the women against the Good Shepherd. Lies goes to Almelo with a grave expert. There they make a remarkable discovery on the former monastery grounds, which arouses a lot of suspicion among the municipality. Scientists conduct research into mortality rates and come to a worrying conclusion.