SOS Children’s Villages sets up a commission of experts to investigate and deal with violence against boys and girls in the association’s facilities. This was announced by a spokeswoman for the Munich-based and nationwide organization at the request of the SZ. The names of the committee members are to be announced at the beginning of next year. The committee is set up as a consequence of an investigation report into grievances in one of the SOS Children’s Villages.
The abuse expert and emeritus professor of social psychology Heiner Keupp presented in a study published in early October as a summary of what happened in this facility from the early 2000s to around 2015, according to reports from several former supervisors. The allegations are directed primarily against two mothers of the Children’s Village at the time. One of the two women denied the allegations when asked by the SZ; the other woman could not be reached. The public prosecutor’s office is now investigating.
In response to the publication of the Keupp report, according to SOS, four other formerly supervised persons reported. The association for the protection of those affected did not provide any details. The spokeswoman assures, however, “that we are investigating all reports comprehensively”.
An internal survey led to a reform process in pedagogical concepts
According to the SOS spokeswoman, the commission of experts should deal with all reports of wrongdoing against children in SOS facilities. In 2010, SOS conducted an internal survey among executives to find out what kind of wrongdoing they were aware of. Although numerous indications of psychological and physical violence were received, the association did not use these indications as an opportunity for in-depth research.
“But there can be no question of inaction either,” assured the SOS spokeswoman. The internal report of 2010 led “to a comprehensive reform process of pedagogical concepts”. The association operates a total of 39 facilities at around 230 locations throughout Germany, which, according to its own information, reaches more than 100,000 children, young people and families. Around 4,600 people work for SOS.