SOS Children's Villages: Abuse Allegations Against Deceased Founder Gmeiner

As the organization told APA, the founder is suspected of having committed "sexual violence and abuse" against at least eight minor boys. SOS Children's Village now wants to completely reorganize itself and rigorously address the past.

The reports of abuse come from the organization's victim protection procedures from 2013 to 2023. The assaults themselves are said to have taken place from the 1950s to the 1980s at four locations in Austria. "The affected individuals have plausibly presented the events within the framework of the victim protection procedure; decisions on compensation are made based on a plausibility check, it is not a forensic investigation," said SOS Children's Village Managing Director Annemarie Schlack to APA. Further victims of Gmeiner, who was considered a great friend of children, cannot be ruled out. Assaults on girls are not known.

All eight affected individuals were compensated with up to 25,000 euros, and therapy sessions were also paid for. Gmeiner was considered legally unblemished throughout his life. The victim protection procedure is also not a legal instrument, but "a recognition and support instrument."

Innsbruck Public Prosecutor's Office Investigates "Comprehensively"

When asked whether criminal investigations related to Gmeiner's name were pending against any possible accomplices or co-perpetrators, the Innsbruck Public Prosecutor's Office referred to an already pending investigation. This concerns alleged child abuse and primarily relates to a former director at the Imst location.

Furthermore, "comprehensive" investigations are being conducted, "also against unknown perpetrators," a spokeswoman for the Tyrolean prosecution authority said Thursday afternoon in response to an APA inquiry. The procedure was initiated because knowledge of criminally relevant allegations was obtained based on a report from an independent investigation commission.

"Pioneer of Humanity"

The man, born on June 23, 1919, in Vorarlberg, was previously considered a "pioneer of humanity." In 1949, Gmeiner founded the association Societas Socialis (SOS) at the age of nearly 30, which was later renamed SOS Children's Village. Today, SOS Children's Village is represented in around 135 countries.

The founder was showered with public honors. According to the SOS Children's Village website, he received 146 awards and maintained friendships with international figures such as the Dalai Lama and Mother Teresa. In Austria, numerous schools, streets, and parks (such as one in Vienna's Inner City) were named after Gmeiner. A Hermann Gmeiner monument also stands in the district. In 1994, the Austrian Post dedicated a special stamp to him.

SOS Children's Villages: Complete Reorganization of the Organization

Following the allegations of abuse and violence, the organization is completely reorganizing itself. It is intended to be "not a small update, but a comprehensive restart of the organization," said Managing Director Schlack in an APA interview. "By 2026, SOS Children's Villages will look different than it does today," she emphasized.

Additionally, a reform commission chaired by Irmgard Griss is examining the incidents and structures of SOS Children's Villages and supporting the organization "in the complete investigation - no matter how long ago a violent experience occurred and regardless of whether it involved perpetrators in leading positions," it was stated. At the end of the process, a final report will be published. As of today, Thursday, the website of the reform commission https://reformkommission.at/ with an online contact option has been set up.

No Current New Suspicion Case

Currently, there is no new suspicion of abuse at SOS Children's Villages. However, there are currently 67 reports that have been brought to the organization through various contact points. Since the range of these entries is very wide, a new case does not necessarily have to result from them, it was stated. The Managing Director, however, called on any affected individuals to contact SOS Children's Villages - also in the Gmeiner case.

A report by the weekly newspaper "Falter" about allegations against the SOS Children's Village at the location in Moosburg in Carinthia triggered the abuse case in mid-September. Shortly thereafter, allegations against other children's villages also came to light.

First Reactions from Politics

In the afternoon, there was also a first reaction from politics: "What has come to light here is deeply concerning," said Barbara Neßler, family spokesperson for the Greens. It is "good and unavoidable that SOS Children's Villages is reorganizing itself today and actively dealing with its own past." "Nevertheless, the investigation must not end with lip service. The government must also be held accountable here. For this reason, the Greens already submitted a request to the Ministry of Justice on September 25," said Neßler. The spokesperson assumed that more affected individuals would come forward who have "remained silent out of fear" until now.

(APA/Red)

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