Applaud for beating, applaud for rape?

I went to e theatre in Berlin yesterday (Berliner Ensemble) and watched Wedekind's Frühlingserwachen (spring awakening, or youth awakening). Written in 1891, it's still current as ever, especially when directed by Peymann. The topic is morality, and what makes a good/bad person (character, upbringing, bad luck, etc). There were sad fates among several teenage characters. Inclduing beatings and rape. What was more disturbing than some nude and raunchy scenes was that a large part of the audience laughed and applauded after a young man beats a young 14-year old girl, and again reacted this way when the same girl was raped. If a few people had laughed, I would have guessed it was a distubed laughter. If they had just clapped, perhaps at the authenticity of the performance. But it was a large group, and the combination of laughter and clapping was simply very disturbing.