A woman has revealed what it was like growing up in a sex cult and how she’s using her experience to help others.
When she was just four years old, Inka Winter moved to the commune.
What was supposed to be a temporary situation turned into several years.
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At first glance, the lifestyle seemed idyllic, with everyone working together to create a “better world” that preached togetherness and equality.
But what newcomers didn’t realise was that they had joined the infamous Friedrichshof Commune, run by the late convicted sex offender Otto Muehl.
The artist would use those involved for his own twisted pleasure.
After escaping, Inka is sharing her story to help others recovering from trauma like hers.
“I am realising that while the cult I grew up in was extreme, it is by no means unique,” Inka, who now lives in Los Angeles, US, told Need To Know.
“It mirrors many problematic elements in our society, where people are reduced to just their bodies.
“There was housing and schools, which I think appealed to parents looking for a community to raise their children in.
“To an outsider, the children looked happy – playing outside, painting and making films.
“But I felt so lonely.”
Friedrichshof Commune, based outside of Vienna, Austria, was part of a “socialist living experiment”.
It was originally founded in 1972 with Inka living there from 1982 to 1991.
Muehl, who argued that parents were the source of many of society’s problems, would separate parents and children from one another.
He also banned romantic relationships and prevented friendships.
Coercive sexual practices were mandatory, including members being forced into non-consensual sexual relationships, where they had to engage with everyone – including Muehl and his wife, Claudia Weissensteiner.
In 1991, he was arrested for child rape and the commune was dissolved.
At its largest, the commune had over 600 members.
Inka was 11 years old when she escaped after the commune was closed down for good.
She started going to therapy when she was 16 years old and learned about the practice of mindfulness but healing was slow.
She said: “It was a long road to recovery; it wasn’t just my boundaries and sexuality that needed healing, it was my whole sense of intimacy.
“I needed to repair my ability to authentically and vulnerably connect with other people in a safe way.”
Inka also found another, perhaps more unusual, outlet for her trauma: creating feminist p*rn.
In 2017, she went on to create her own film-making business, ForPlay Films (@forplayfilms on social media), which focuses on consent and creating a safe and respectful environment for the actors and viewers.
She understands why people might question why a survivor of sexual abuse would venture into the adult industry – but says there is a simple reason.
Inka said: “I found myself seeking out p*rn that delivered a sense of connection and authentic trust, but I couldn’t find anything that didn’t trigger my past.
“The first time I was on set, I worried that I might have a panic attack or a nervous breakdown because of my experience growing up in the cult.
“But it was an amazing experience.
“With my work, I’m not only trying to right the wrong that happened to me, but also the problematic narrative in society.
“It might sound strange but making ethical feminist p*rn is my form of social activism.”
Being able to direct the scenes gave Inka a sense of control that was taken from her long ago.
Her Bridgerton-inspired four-part flick, Ashford Manor, racked up an impressive 19 awards nominations.
Now, she’s continuing to advocate for those still recovering from the cult – and hopes to change the way society feels about sex.
Inka added: “If my work at ForPlay Films can not only help me but bring joy and healing to others, then I will have transformed my trauma into something powerful and worthwhile.
“I want to give everyone – whether performers, viewers, my crew, or myself – the agency and empowerment over their own sexuality that I was never given growing up.”
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