SOS Children’s Villages Confirms Founder Committed Sexual and Physical Abuse

SOS Children’s Villages, the global charity operating in over 130 countries, revealed on Thursday that its founder, Hermann Gmeiner, committed sexual and physical abuse over several decades before his death in 1986. The Austrian aid group, established in 1949 to support children orphaned during World War Two, disclosed that it has documented eight cases involving Gmeiner at four locations in Austria between the 1950s and 1980s.

The organization stated that all eight victims, whose cases were addressed between 2013 and 2023, received compensation ranging from €5,000 to €25,000 ($5,800–$29,200) each. The announcement follows new reports of abuse at several SOS centres in Austria, prompting the charity to initiate a “restart” and intensify internal investigations into both historic and current allegations of misconduct.

SOS Children’s Villages emphasized that it has no evidence of abuse by Gmeiner outside Austria and has pledged full cooperation with an independent inquiry commission established last month. The group said it will continue submitting all available documents to investigators, reaffirming its commitment to transparency and victim protection.

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