991-Page Report to Public Prosecutor's Office

SOS Children's Villages International wants to send the 991-page report on cases of inappropriate conduct in SOS Children's Villages to the Vienna Public Prosecutor's Office. This was reported by the weekly newspaper "Falter." Until now, the report was under lock and key.

"It is an important step to demonstrate our commitment to transparency and accountability," SOS Children's Villages International told "Falter."

Former President Kutin Is Incriminated

An investigation commission appointed by the umbrella organization SOS Children's Villages International in 2023 had produced two different documents on the allegations of inappropriate conduct, a shorter and a longer report.

The report incriminates, among others, the former Children's Village president Helmut Kutin — more on this in SOS Children's Villages: Report with All Details.

SOS Children's Villages Austria Previously Without Access to Long Study

SOS Children's Villages Austria previously had no opportunity to read the long version. In 2023, they were only able to take time-limited access to that excerpt of the report dealing with the already known case concerning a major donor to the organization.

Also in focus was the former and deceased SOS Children's Villages president Kutin. Kutin came under criticism because he enabled a major donor to have contact with children in Nepal, even though the donor had already subjected children there to inappropriate treatment. As became known, the Munich Public Prosecutor's Office investigated Kutin. However, the investigations were closed after Kutin's death.

Helmut Kutin took over the leadership of SOS Children's Villages after Hermann Gmeiner

Highest State Award

SOS Children's Villages founder Hermann Gmeiner was awarded the "Ring of the State of Tyrol" in 1980, and successor Kutin in 2011 — the highest award of Tyrol, requiring a resolution of the state parliament. As early as 1959, Gmeiner had also received the State's Medal of Honor. Most recently, Christian Moser led SOS Children's Villages. He was awarded the Cross of Merit in 2021.

Moser was suspended from duty by the supervisory board after serious allegations against the organization became known — more on this in Children's Village Chief Moser Suspended from Duty.