Article 2 / 30 — Investigation, 23.12.2025
State of Carinthia Prohibits Admission of Additional Children at SOS Children's Villages
State of Carinthia Prohibits Admission of Additional Children at SOS Children's Villages
Authority accuses SOS leadership of still refusing to fully cooperate — and imposes an admission freeze at the SOS Children's Villages Moosburg location until further notice.
Investigation, 23.12.2025
SOS Children's Villages Moosburg: "From our perspective, insufficient cooperation regarding the requested documents," writes the State of Carinthia.
Inappropriate treatment at the Moosburg Children's Village. Inappropriate treatment at the Imst Children's Village. A wealthy major donor who, in exchange for money, slept in Nepalese children's villages and subjected children there to inappropriate treatment. Leaders who knew about the abuses and covered them up. And then Hermann Gmeiner himself: the Children's Village founder is also alleged to have treated boys inappropriately.
The once spotless reputation of the child protection organization is tarnished. SOS Children's Villages acknowledges the abuses within the organization — and publicly pledges improvement. A reform commission under the leadership of Irmgard Griss, former Neos politician and President of the Supreme Court, is tasked with thoroughly examining the entire child protection organization. SOS managing director Annemarie Schlack assured that the organization would fully cooperate with the public prosecutor's office and with the State of Carinthia, which is responsible as guardian for the children of Moosburg.
But now a letter has arrived at Schlack's desk that casts serious doubt on the willingness to come clean. It comes from the State of Carinthia. Subject: "SOS Children's Villages Moosburg; Procedure Regarding New Admissions," reads the document. It was drafted by Gerhild Hubmann, department head and, as of January 1, responsible for child and youth welfare. It concerns an admission freeze at the SOS Children's Villages Moosburg.
The senior state official confirmed a "temporary" admission freeze to Falter. "In connection with new admissions of children, I hereby inform you that the State of Carinthia will refrain from granting consent for the placement of minors in facilities at the SOS Children's Villages Moosburg location until further notice."
The decision is justified by the "from our perspective, insufficient cooperation regarding the requested documents." Data and information from former SOS Children's Villages children were requested weeks ago. But SOS Children's Villages appears to have refused. Hubmann points out that the transmission of data on those 19 Carinthian affected persons already known to the victim protection commission is legally unproblematic.
"We were informed about the admission freeze by the State of Carinthia's letter dated December 19, 2025," SOS Children's Villages confirmed to Falter. The organization takes this seriously but "cannot fully comprehend the measure in this form, because we have already transmitted documents to the state, submitted additional information immediately after receiving the letter, and proposed concrete meeting dates for rapid clarification. In addition, we have requested in writing clear criteria as to which steps are required for a lifting."
It appears as though the State of Carinthia is losing trust in the organization entirely. After Falter uncovered the inappropriate treatment, the state pulled the emergency brake and announced a restructuring of child and youth welfare. Because here too, people looked the other way for a long time. Hubmann, head of Department 6, is therefore taking over child and youth welfare. "I am trying to take a new path," says Hubmann.
Whether SOS Children's Villages will join her on this path currently appears doubtful. The assignment of children and young people depends on ensuring child welfare, full transparency, and comprehensive cooperation and willingness to provide information, states the state's letter.
The child protection organization assures that it is cooperating with the responsible authorities. "We are in ongoing communication with the state, providing requested information in the legally permissible form, and have repeatedly proposed meeting dates for clarification," the statement continues. For the children and young people in care, the support remains "consistently stable and safe."
Department head Hubmann confirms that there is currently "no acute endangerment." But the state wants to wait and see whether SOS Children's Villages is prepared to cooperate fully. A "clarifying discussion" is scheduled for January. However, an unannounced visit by child and youth welfare already took place last week.