Suspension of SOS Children's Villages Austria by Umbrella Organization

This was the result of a special meeting the day before. SOS Children's Villages Austria confirmed the pronounced provisional suspension from the federation to the APA.

"Our serious and significant decisions reflect the board's unwavering commitment to not tolerate any form of abuse or lack of transparency within our federation," said Domenico Parisi, the chairman of SOS Children's Villages International. "We respect this decision and fully cooperate with all relevant bodies. This is a measure in accordance with the statutes when misconduct or grievances occur in member associations that need to be examined more closely," it was stated in the corresponding statement. The mission in Austria remains unchanged: "Consistently addressing and implementing the reorganization of the organization remains. The suspension does not change that."

SOS Children's Villages: Exact Content of the Cases Not Yet Known

After it became known that SOS Children's Villages founder Hermann Gmeiner allegedly sexually abused at least eight boys, the extent of the acts is still open. Although the victim protection commission thoroughly investigated the acts, this was always done under strict confidentiality with those affected. Only now has the appointed reform commission requested that the corresponding reports be submitted to them in anonymized form, said Hedwig Wölfl from the commission.

From 2013 to 2023, around 200 reports were received by the victim protection commission, eight of which concerned Gmeiner. Here, individuals plausibly stated that they had suffered sexual violence from Gmeiner and were compensated by SOS Children's Villages with up to 25,000 euros and the coverage of therapy sessions. However, large internal investigations did not take place.

The exact contents of the statements could not be passed on by the independent and directive-free victim protection commission - not even to other parts of SOS Children's Villages. Only the reform commission will now gain insight into how Gmeiner's abuse acts actually took place and whether there were patterns, accomplices, or even co-perpetrators in his assaults. Wölfl expected an initial assessment next week.

Only Affected Individuals Could Report

A report against any possible accomplices or additional perpetrators - if they are even still alive - could only have been made by the victim themselves. No such report has been filed with the Innsbruck public prosecutor's office, as stated upon inquiry. Consequently, no official investigations could be initiated.

New Light on an Old Isolated Case

However, an older case is once again in the spotlight: In 2022, it became known that an Austrian major donor was suspected of having sexually abused eight boys during his visits to a Southeast Asian country, who were under the care of SOS Children's Village.

The man, who has since passed away, traveled there repeatedly from 2010 to 2014. It was only after a complaint from the institution, which had noticed the actions, that the visits were stopped. The case was filed away as an "isolated case."

The reform commission is aware of this case. However, it has been decided to initially focus on the incidents and structures in Austria and to leave any foreign connections aside.

(APA/Red)

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