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Salzburg Prosecutors Confirm Probe Into Alleged Abuse at SOS-Kinderdorf in Seekirchen

An independent review led by Irmgard Griss will scrutinize SOS-Kinderdorf’s structures to improve accountability.

Overview

  • Salzburg prosecutors confirmed an investigation into suspected sexual abuse of two girls under 14 at the Seekirchen facility, alleged to have occurred between 2008 and 2010.
  • Officials described the inquiry as being at an early stage, with multiple witness interviews still pending.
  • The suspect is a former employee who was convicted in October 2021 by the Salzburg regional court for sexual abuse of a minor in a separate 2011–2013 case.
  • SOS-Kinderdorf says it is cooperating with authorities and is withholding details to protect victims.
  • Following earlier reports about alleged mistreatment at sites in Moosburg and Imst, the organization has tasked an independent commission led by Griss to examine its structures, while a German panel previously recorded 189 notifications of abuse or privacy violations from 1976 to 2023.