Florian Klenk - Excuse

Elfriede Blauensteiner, known as the "black widow," was arrested in 1996 and later convicted of several murders of care recipients and partners. In the documentary self-recording "Excuses," she speaks not as a fictional character, but in the form of a life report compiled from protocols, expert opinions, and interrogations. It is not a crime story or a classic narrative work, but a text that feels like an immediate statement. The monologue forces a reconsideration of concepts such as guilt, justice, and empathy. It is not only about legal guilt. The acts are established, yet the text also reveals the biographical fractures and influences that stand in the way of a simple moral categorization. Florian Klenk is the author of this work and has selected, condensed, and transformed the material from interrogations and conversations into a literary monologue form. In doing so, he operates as an investigative journalist who not only documents real cases but also translates them into a narrative structure. As the editor-in-chief of "Falter," Klenk represents critical, investigative journalism that exposes abuse of power and systemic failures. His books and research go beyond individual cases and raise fundamental questions about justice, responsibility, and societal structures.