SOS Children's Villages: First Reform Steps Have Been Taken

As the chairman Friedrich Santner said at a press conference on Wednesday, the management has been relieved from the "excessive confidentiality obligation" towards the authorities and the pedagogy has been further decoupled from fundraising. Fundamentally, the supervisory board aims to bring calm to the organization, which has fallen into severe turbulence.

In addressing the abuse allegations, they are "at the beginning," as Santner said. However, he promised complete transparency in dealing with the accusations. "Child protection comes before brand protection," emphasized the chairman. Most cases are likely to have occurred in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. 179 cases have already been compensated.

The former juvenile judge Norbert Gerstberger, who is also a member of the supervisory board, emphasized initiating legal steps against perpetrators, provided a non-statute-barred offense exists and the accused is still alive. However, an accusation alone is not sufficient for this. The processing of the cases is expected to take about a year.

SOS Children's Villages: Pedagogy is Enhanced

In the future, the role of pedagogy is also to be enhanced and the responsibility placed within the management. The concept of the children's village with a "mother" caring for several children is to be abandoned. Although only ten percent of children and adolescents are currently housed in this form of care, these are also to be gradually reformed. "This is an outdated system," emphasized the youth welfare expert and supervisory board member Maria Wienerroither.

The trauma expert and university professor Brigitte Lueger-Schuster, who is also a member of the committee, stressed that it is now extremely important for calm to return to the facilities. Both the staff and the children and adolescents are currently very unsettled. There is also a reason why the children do not live with their families. "They all carry their own backpack," said Lueger-Schuster.

(APA/Red)

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