Children and young people SOS Kinderdorp Suriname abused for years | Abroad

The research was commissioned by SOS Children’s Villages, after stories of violence and sexual abuse in children’s villages came out in 2021. For the investigation, Verinorm used documents, among other things, and the research agency conducted 35 interviews with victims and former employees, among others. It emerged that the abuse took place from the establishment of the Children’s Village in 1972 until its closure in 2006.

Five executives, almost half, are said to have been guilty of abuse. According to the report, this gives ‘the impression that abuse by managers was structural in nature’. One of the executives was sentenced by the court to 3.5 years in prison for sexually abusing a 12-year-old girl.

In the Children’s Village, according to the researchers, there was ‘too little supervision, control and enforcement’ and signals about abuses “were not taken seriously enough” by the aid organisation. SOS Kinderdorpen says it ‘deeply regrets’ the events in Suriname. “We think it’s terrible that we failed to keep all children and young people in our programs in the former SOS Children’s Villages Suriname safe at the time. This goes against everything we as an organization stand for. Naturally, we take all reports very seriously and treat them with respect and confidence.”

The victims make a direct connection between their later problems and abuse in the Children’s Village. But according to the researchers, that connection cannot be determined with certainty. According to a spokeswoman for SOS Children’s Villages, victims are supported in two ways. They receive money every month for basic necessities. Personal plans are also drawn up for the victims, including psychosocial help and support when applying for a job or for starting their own business.

SOS Children’s Villages mainly helps children who cannot be cared for by their parents because of poverty or domestic violence. The organization is active in 138 locations worldwide.