915. Gravenshoved Kostskole

Gravenshoved Kostskole was a boarding school for children in need. It was located in the South of Jutland. It opened in 1964 and closed in 1992. Despite the stay being paid for and the children referred from various departments of social services in Denmark, the supervision of the facility and welfare of the children during their stay were not monitored by employees of the department who saw to that the children were sent to the school.

As result the children suffered from various forms of abuse subjected on them from the hands of the employees. The department of social services learned about the abuse in 2009 but properly out of concern of the careers of the employees who neglected their duties, the reportings were not handed over to the police before newspapers started to investigate the closed boarding school in 2021.

Only almost two decades after the school closed the police started their investigation which is still ongoing. It could not have been fun to be there as a child.

Sources:

• Kommune bekræfter: Fik henvendelse om overgreb for over tolv år siden – først nu er sagerne politianmeldt (BT – in Danish language)
• Politi rykker ind i sag om Gravenshoved Kostskole (BT – in Danish language)
• 31 tidligere elever klager over kostskole: ‘Vi skulle være glade, om så det skulle tæskes ind i os’ (Danmarks Radio – in Danish language)
• Kommune går til politiet: Angst og overgreb var hverdag for elever på kostskole (Nordjyske – in Danish language)

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Update 2023

A report concluded that there could be basis for criminal charges if they can manage to put them together before they come too old to conduct a trial according to Danish law. Also human rights violations were judged to have taken place at the school.

• Både straffelov og menneskerettigheder brudt, konkluderer rapport: Det siger kommunen (TV2 Nord – in Danish language)