It’s a document “difficult for our staff to read”valued Ingrid Johansenmanaging director of SOS Children’s Villages. According to a 262-page report, the international NGO, the “the largest organization in the world” present in 137 countries in 2022, it would have stifled many cases of sexual violence and corruption since the 1980s.
Following Ingrid Johansen’s arrival at the helm of the organization in 2021, the latter has committed to “to fix the mistakes of the past”. He then ordered an independent audit to uncover cases of abuse within the organization founded in 1949. And the results are final.
Multiple cases of childhood sex
After visiting a dozen countries, the commission of inquiry consulted thousands of archival documents and conducted 188 interviews with victims or former and current officials, theFrench media agency.
“We confirm the serious allegations of violence » committed against minors in several countries, reads this text consulted by AFP. “ Many cases of infant pregnancies » particularly resulting from rapes have been documented, young girls having been subjected to it “forced abortions” without the “families consent required”.
According to the investigation, in Nepal, a donor was received in a centre, ” against the rules »and committed sexual assaults against children between 2010 and 2014. One of them was even sent to Austria to visit him.
A “Culture of Fear”
These multiple cases would go unnoticed. And for good reason, Whistleblowers were reportedly intimidated and evidence destroyed. In Panama, A culture of fear » the details of the report would be established, so that these scandals would never be revealed in broad daylight. One victim was cforced to retractbefore being placed in solitary confinement and then having to leave the premises.
The report also reveals that in Syria the NGO has welcomed during the war, since 2015, children forcibly separated from their families belonging to the opposition to Bashar al-Assad’s regime. “They are now reunited with their loved ones and none of them are part of our schedules anymore”says Ingrid Johansen.
To overcome this crisis, SOS Children’s Villages created a post of rights advocate, and more than half of the members of the management were replaced. About 500 victims benefited from individualized psychological, logistical or financial support.
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Source: Madmoizelle
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
