25. 08. 10. - 12:00

Vienna abuse victims to get compensation

Dozens of people abused while living at Vienna Youth Welfare homes will be compensated, Social Democratic (SPÖ) Mayor Michael Häupl has announced.

Häupl said today (Weds) an overall 84 cases regarding Vienna youth homes had been registered, of which 33 would be handled by prosecutors who would carry out further investigations of abusive educators.

"We are aware of our responsibility for the tragic incidents some people had to experience," the mayor said.

Häupl said all therapy costs – up to 25,000 Euros per victim – would be covered, adding that the city government had been cooperating with victims of violence charity Weisser Ring (White Ring).

SPÖ Vienna youth issues councillor Christian Oxonitsch said most abuse incidents had occurred in the 1960s and 1970s. He further explained that most of the homes where the crimes had occurred had been shut, adding that some offenders had passed away in the meantime.

Oxonitsch announced that the six still existing homes would be "restructured appropriately".

The Austrian Catholic Church’s reputation has also suffered dramatically due to hundreds of sexual and violent abuse offences reported so far this year that occurred at institutions run by the Church since World War Two.

Viennese researchers Karmasin announced earlier this week that only 19 per cent of Austrians trusted parish priests, down by 20 per cent year on year.

Official figures presented earlier this year revealed that 30,004 people had quit their Catholic Church membership in the first three months of 2010, up by 42 per cent compared to the same period last year, when more people than ever quit.

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