SOS Children's Villages Announces External Evaluation Following Allegations of Violence

Following serious allegations against the SOS Children's Village in Moosburg near Klagenfurt, the institution announced on Wednesday an "external evaluation of the addressing processes." The Vienna weekly newspaper "Falter" reported on Tuesday about serious allegations against the facility: children and adolescents were allegedly abused, locked up, and photographed naked over the years, and the matter was swept under the rug.

Violence and Abuse a Daily Occurrence

The allegations, which date back to the years 2008 to 2020, were recorded in a study commissioned by SOS Children's Village itself. However, the results have not been published to this day. The "Falter" quotes from the study that an educator had nude photos of children on his private laptop. A children's village mother is said to have locked a girl in a room every night for three years, and children were reportedly punished with food and water deprivation. The educator watched the children shower "to prevent secret drinking," the "Falter" quotes from the study.

The defenseless minors were reportedly also bitten and beaten. A children's village director is said to have been informed about the incidents and documented them. But instead of helping the minors, he was reportedly violent towards them himself, according to the study.

Evaluation to Follow "Promptly"

SOS Children's Village again denied on Wednesday allegations that the incidents were swept under the rug: "After the allegations became known in 2020, a comprehensive review was initiated." They parted ways with executives and "comprehensively addressed the allegations with the help of external support." There was a stop on admissions at the location in 2020, which was officially lifted in December 2020.

That mistakes were made is "beyond question": "The suffering that the young people experienced in the care of SOS Children's Village deeply affects us, and we want to sincerely apologize for it." Some affected individuals have undergone victim protection procedures and have been granted "compensation payments and the financing of therapy sessions."

Further steps were also announced: "The supervisory board will promptly commission an external evaluation of the addressing processes to ensure institutional responsibility," said SOS Children's Village. It will be checked whether the measures taken after the allegations became known were effective. Furthermore, the institution stated: "All those affected who have been wronged by SOS Children's Village can contact the external independent ombuds offices," and misconduct or grievances can also be reported via a whistleblowing platform of SOS Children's Village.

Case in Imst Also Being Investigated

As part of this evaluation, the organization also wants to look into another case, as announced to the APA. This case dates back four years and concerns the location in Imst, Tyrol. "This case was also comprehensively addressed at the time, and here too, the Institute for Men's and Gender Research prepared an accompanying study," said SOS Children's Villages in a statement.

"During the review, not only misconduct by leaders became apparent, but also cases of physical and psychological violence against children. Additionally, child welfare violations were not always handled according to the guidelines," the organization further stated. "There was a separation from leaders, the allegations were addressed, and personnel as well as comprehensive structural changes were made." Part of the review also included commissioning an external study by the Institute for Men's and Gender Research. SOS Children's Villages further on Imst: "Under new leadership, the location has fundamentally restructured and now operates in a modernized structure."

Studies Not Intended for Publication

The NGO emphasized upon inquiry that neither the study on Imst nor the one on Moosburg were intended for publication. It was part of the internal review process, it was said regarding the Imst case. "The result was comprehensive measures implemented at the location after the incidents were investigated and described in great detail. Publishing this in such a form could lead to retraumatization of the victims."

SOS Children's Villages further emphasized: "We are convinced that the vast majority of our employees do outstanding work every day and strive to strengthen and support children as best as possible. Where people interact with each other, there can also be injuries or imbalances of power relations. Only if we accept this area of tension and commit to continuously reflecting on our actions and asking critical questions can we fully take responsibility for child protection."

Regarding the cases known in Moosburg, the organization emphasized that in the case of the children's village mother, she has not been working for the NGO since 2008. In 2015, a report was filed after affected children extensively reported the incidents during a stay in a clinic. The clinic management then filed a report. The organization also parted ways with the other two employees in Moosburg after the incidents became known in 2016 and 2020, respectively.

Investigations Already Closed

In 2020, there were investigations by the Klagenfurt public prosecutor's office - against a former director of the SOS Children's Village in Moosburg and another person. They were accused of depictions of abuse of minors and abuse of an authority relationship during a stay at a holiday camp in Italy. However, the investigations by the public prosecutor's office were closed, said authority spokesman Markus Kitz upon APA inquiry: The pictures of the bathing children did not fall under the relevant paragraph 207a of the penal code.

The case did have repercussions for the person who reported the home director. This person filed a report for defamation in 2020. The Klagenfurt Regional Court initially delivered a guilty verdict. However, the verdict was overturned by the Graz Higher Regional Court, resulting in an acquittal.

Authority Imposed Admission Stop

The responsible departments of the state of Carinthia were only informed about the allegations by SOS Children's Village in 2020, as stated on Wednesday in response to an APA inquiry by the Carinthian Child and Youth Welfare Service. At that time, it was said that there had been "failures to report allegations against an employee" by the then Children's Village director. These allegations included the mentioned photos of naked children that were stored on the employee's private laptop. This employee was no longer employed by SOS Children's Village at that time. Subsequently, allegations against the then Children's Village director became known, as well as "inadequate pedagogical practices by individual employees" and "deficiencies in the implementation of guidelines and standards."

The accusation that the authorities did not fulfill their responsibilities is "strongly rejected" by the Child and Youth Welfare Service. Immediately after the review, an admission stop was ordered in May 2020, which was communicated to all district administrative authorities in Carinthia. Furthermore, a multi-day "professional supervision" was conducted to protect the children and adolescents being cared for at that time.

Study Not Yet Available

Regarding the inspections at SOS Children's Village Moosburg, it is stated that these "professional supervisions" are conducted at least once a year. A checklist is worked through, examining areas such as personnel (number, care ratio, qualifications, criminal record checks, training, duty rosters), as well as child and youth-related surveys (duration of placement, diagnoses, medication, parental work, leisure activities, special incidents) and the facility in general (concept, participation, prevention, crisis plans, equipment, order, hygiene). The children and adolescents accommodated are also spoken to without the presence of caregivers.

After the allegations became known, the state of Carinthia commissioned an "external evaluation of SOS Children's Village Carinthia with a focus on the Moosburg location." The offerings at the location were changed: "Care is provided in residential groups and small groups. The model of the Children's Village mother no longer exists in its original form." In the family-like groups, "additionally well-qualified employees" were also employed. Incidentally, the study cited by "Falter" was still not available to the Child and Youth Welfare Service on Wednesday: "A transmission of the study has been requested," it was said.

Politics Demands "Comprehensive Investigation"

Reactions from Carinthian state politics were not long in coming: "The publicly revealed revelations about systematic abuse in SOS Children's Village Moosburg are deeply disturbing and morally highly reprehensible," responded Team Carinthia leader Gerhard Köfer, stating that "not only a comprehensive criminal investigation is needed, but also a relentless clarification of institutional and official failures."

The deputy NEOS state spokesperson Iris Glanzer said the allegations surrounding SOS Children's Village deeply shock her: "Every single indication of abuse must be treated with the utmost seriousness and fully clarified." And Green Party state spokesperson Olga Voglauer demands a "comprehensive clarification and investigation," stating that "collective turning a blind eye" still occurs. She also sees the state of Carinthia as having a duty.

The allegations against employees of SOS Children's Village in Moosburg "are shocking and deeply affect me," responded Carinthia's FPÖ party chairman Erwin Angerer. He also criticized the authorities: "The grievances have been known to the state since 2020 at the latest, yet the public was systematically kept in the dark."

(APA/Red)

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