Eight victims – SOS Children’s Village donors suspected of abuse

Eight underage boys have been affected, who are now young adults, Elisabeth Hauser, director of SOS Children’s Villages Austria, said at a news conference. The attacks were noticed during the visits, the man always stayed there for a few days. The country concerned, which for reasons of child protection did not want to name SOS Children’s Villages, then announced that a visit from the donor was no longer desired.

Complaint about cessation of visits
The man, who was not happy with the cessation of the visits, then complained to the organization. There were no more donations from his side, but the development of the village was already fully funded by then. Subsequently, according to Hauser, the state ordered a report to investigate these allegations. “And these were not brought to our attention until 2021.”

“It is not clear what the allegations are”
Hauser explained why the organization did not question why the country no longer wanted the Austrian’s visits in 2014: “It was not clear to us at the time what the allegations were. We greatly respected that.” Asked if the serious allegations were foreseeable, she said: “That’s exactly what we’re asking ourselves now. We took note of it and respected it 100 percent, the decision of the country. And there we also saw the responsibility to to draw the right conclusions. We have not doubted that decision.”

Hauser continues: “Now we want to know what our responsibility would have been and how we should have reacted as a donor association. That is the dilemma that now arises and from which we want to learn.”

Only years later, namely in 2021, did a supervisor also report the attacks via an international whistleblower platform of the organization. Something like this now also exists in Austria, where, according to Hauser, such grievances can be reported anonymously and in person. “We are very happy and very grateful when employees use this resource,” said Hauser. “Because this is the chance for us to look at it. When things don’t come up, they stay below the surface.”

Investigations closed after donor death
The donor was reported to the public prosecutor’s office in St. Pölten in 2021. However, the man died in August, causing the investigation to be halted. A side note: he bequeathed his house to the children’s organization. It is still unclear whether SOS Children’s Villages will accept the inheritance, Hauser said the inheritance has not yet been settled.

“We are deeply shocked that children in the care of SOS Children’s Villages have suffered harm from a donor and are doing everything we can to support today’s young adults and fully clarify the matter,” Hauser said in an interview with the APA. The now young men were offered psychological help.

compensation planned
SOS Children’s Villages Austria and SOS Children’s Villages International have offered the country all kinds of support, “and this will mainly be through financial donations,” says Hauser. SOS Children’s Villages Austria has made it their mission to “send compensation to the affected children if they wish”. In Austria, this compensation would amount to a maximum of 25,000 euros, which would also be possible for those affected in the country in Southeast Asia. So far, only two of the abused boys have spoken about the incidents.

Every year, approximately 50 million euros is donated to SOS Children’s Villages Austria. 76.6 percent goes to Austrian institutions, 8.7 percent to SOS Children’s Villages worldwide.