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New allegations of abuse against SOS Children's Villages: investigations in Salzburg!
Allegations of abuse against former SOS Children's Village employees in Seekirchen: investigations by the public prosecutor's office are ongoing.
New allegations of abuse against SOS Children's Villages: investigations in Salzburg!
Another worrying case: In Austria there are increasing allegations of abuse against former employees of SOS Children's Villages. As the Passauer Neue Presse According to reports, a former employee is suspected of sexually abusing two underage girls in Seekirchen, in the Salzburg area district, between 2008 and 2010. The state investigation is ongoing and the children involved were under 14 years old at the time.
These new allegations are not without an alarming background. Other suspected cases had already become known in Moosburg, Carinthia, and Imst, Tyrol. Here SOS Children's Villages confirmed suspected physical, psychological and sexual assaults. In order to enable further investigation, the organization plans to set up an independent commission.
Investigations and cooperation with authorities
The Salzburg public prosecutor's office has already started the investigation and is working closely with SOS Children's Villages. The organization provides the authorities with the necessary documents and adheres to the guidelines in order to protect the victims. Details about the events are not published.
The daily news also points out that these problem cases are not limited to Austria. An independent commission in Germany has documented 226 cases of attacks in SOS Children's Village facilities since the 1960s. Klaus Schäfer, the chairman of the commission, emphasizes that the files are often poor, which also makes it likely that there are unreported cases.
Misconduct and necessary measures
In around half of the cases, the attacks are caused by employees of the children's village. The CEO of SOS Children's Villages, Sabina Schutter, publicly apologized and admitted that complaints were not always handled appropriately. This makes the “Child Protection Action Plan” initiated in 2021 all the more important, which from 2025 also provides for an “annual reflection” in every children’s village family in order to identify potential risks at an early stage.
Following the latest allegations, the need to professionalize children's village mothers and fathers has come into focus. The education and well-being of children should always come first.
Make an important statement
The Office of the Independent Commissioner for Child Sexual Abuse Issues (UBSKM) was founded in 2010 to take a stand against child sexual abuse. The aim of this initiative is to ensure safety for children and support those who have been abused. More information about the activities and support options can be found on the UBSKM website.
The recent incidents at SOS Children's Villages are a bitter wake-up call for everyone involved to optimize the mechanisms and prevent abuse in all forms. It is hoped that the ongoing investigation and forthcoming action will help restore public confidence in this important social institution.