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

According to the organization, as reported to the APA, the founder is suspected of having committed "sexual violence and abuse" against at least eight minor boys. The organization stated that there are eight documented cases against Gmeiner in the victim protection proceedings; additional affected individuals cannot be ruled out. There are no known assaults on girls.

Reports originate from the organization's victim protection proceedings

The reports originate from the organization's victim protection proceedings 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 proceedings; 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. Further victims of Gmeiner, who was considered a great friend of children, cannot be ruled out.

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."

Gmeiner was previously considered a "Pioneer of Humanity"

The man, born on June 23, 1919, in Vorarlberg, was previously considered a "Pioneer of Humanity." In 1949, at the age of nearly 30, Gmeiner founded the association Societas Socialis (SOS), which was later renamed SOS Children's Village. According to his own statements, he wanted to "create supervised facilities with an environment that comes as close as possible to that of a biological family." In the same year, the foundation stone for the first family house in Imst was laid. On December 24, 1950, the first five orphans moved in with their SOS mother.

In the 1960s, the SOS Children's Village idea spread beyond Europe to Asia and Latin America. The first SOS Children's Village in this region was established in 1964 in Quito, Ecuador. In 1971, the first children's village in Africa followed. Today, SOS Children's Village is represented in around 135 countries.

SOS Children's Village: Allegations Against the Organization Abroad

Internationally, especially in Asia and Africa, allegations of abuse against the organization repeatedly surfaced. In 2021, SOS Children's Village Austria publicly disclosed for the first time the suspicion of sexual abuse of children and adolescents under care by an Austrian who has since passed away.

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 (including one in Vienna's Inner City) were named after Gmeiner. In the district, there is also a Hermann Gmeiner monument. In 1994, the Austrian Post dedicated a special stamp to him.

Gmeiner died on April 26, 1986, unmarried at the age of 67 from cancer. The organization asks any affected individuals to contact the reporting office at opferschutz@sos-kinderdorf.at.

(APA/Red)

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