900-Page Report on SOS Children's Village Received by Public Prosecutor's Office

On Thursday afternoon, the Vienna Public Prosecutor's Office received the draft version, over 900 pages long, of the already published investigation report by the Independent Special Commission (ISC) on irregularities at SOS Children's Villages. "We have the report," a spokeswoman told APA. However, it is still too early for detailed information on the content.

Report Contains Confidential Names and Information

"This document is the confidential second part of the report by the Independent Special Commission (ISC). It not only contains confidential information but also names numerous individuals, including whistleblowers," said a statement from SOS Children's Villages International to APA.

Due to the previous confidentiality of this document, SOS Children's Villages Austria had only very sporadic access to the report - this is now also different: "On November 14, the management of SOS Children's Villages Austria submitted a formal request to SOS Children's Villages International for access to the full-length version; based on this, the management and an external legal representation have had regulated reading access since November 18," the organization stated.

Focus Also on Deceased Former President

The legal representation will now evaluate the full report, examine the legal implications, and ensure "that all content relevant to Austria is made available to the competent public prosecutors." The focus is also on the former long-time and deceased in 2024 SOS Children's Villages President Helmut Kutin.

Kutin came into focus because he allegedly allowed a major donor access to children in Nepal - even after the man allegedly abused children there. As it became known, the Munich public prosecutor's office was temporarily investigating Kutin on the basis of a non-specific initial suspicion. However, the investigation was closed due to his death.

New Supervisory Board Elected

In the course of its reorganization, the organization elected a new supervisory board on Thursday afternoon. The new chairman and spokesperson of the committee is the industrial manager Friedrich Santner, who himself spent his childhood and youth in an SOS facility.

"The new supervisory board sees itself as an independent, active control body with clear responsibility for supervision, child protection, governance, and compliance," emphasized Santner in a statement. The task of the supervisory board is, therefore, "to ensure the comprehensive review of the past, to consistently accompany the necessary reforms, and thus to create the foundation for new trust in SOS Children's Village."

The supervisory board also includes university professor and clinical psychologist Brigitte Lueger-Schuster, former juvenile judge Norbert Gerstberger, youth welfare expert Maria Wienerroither, and business economist Martin Zernig. "Additionally, a representative of the SOS Children's Village works council will be co-opted to systematically incorporate the perspective of the employees," it was stated.

"With the election of an independent supervisory board, in which recognized experts in law, psychology, and child protection are represented, SOS Children's Village Austria is setting a clear signal for the beginning of a new culture of responsibility," said Managing Director Annemarie Schlack. The honest confrontation with the past is "a central part of this new start."

(APA/Red)

This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.