SOS Children’s Villages opens new group home for girls

SOS Children’s Villages opened a new group home for girls in Graz on Thursday, ORF reported. The organisation says it is moving forward after allegations of abuse and violence, with its management and supervisory board taking a closer look at its work.

Eleven girls will find a new home in the facility in Graz-Straßgang. They will be supported by 10 educators and therapists.

The new group home cost 2.5 million euros and includes living space, therapy rooms and private areas for retreat. “These eleven girls come to us carrying a heavy burden, with many stresses, so it is very important that we have a good building with a good atmosphere, plenty of space, good areas for retreat and also room for therapy,” said Birgitta Thurner of SOS Children’s Villages in Styria.

The construction was financed entirely through donations. Friedrich Santner, chairman of the supervisory board, said the willingness to donate had fallen sharply since the start of the SOS Children’s Villages crisis. “We are somewhere around 30 percent down, and we feel that,” he said.

Santner said the organisation could regain trust only by showing how it works. He assured donors that their contributions would benefit the children and young people in its care.

One year after the abuse cases became known, Santner said the organisation was on a good path. He cited clear responsibilities and new quality management, including more specialist and evidence-based work focused on measurable impact.

Dagmar Kager-Rollett, the educational director of the Graz-Straßgang girls’ group home, said management and the supervisory board were now examining the work more closely, including what was going well and where risks existed. She said this had changed, while the educational work itself had not changed significantly.