The Danish Ministry of Social Affairs has reached a settlement with 13 former residents of the Solgården children’s home in Tarm. Each of them will receive 300,000 kroner in state compensation for abuse suffered as children.
DR reports that the ministry announced the settlement in a press release. Among those covered is Tove Dohn Lauridsen from Holstebro, who was repeatedly raped by the home’s director while placed there.
Solgården, in Tarm in West Jutland, existed from 1949 to 1976 and was run by Luthersk Mission. On March 23, 2026, the 13 former residents sued the Danish state, each demanding 300,000 kroner.
Ekstra Bladet notes that the settlement matches the amount the group had claimed in court. According to BT, the lawsuit concerned violence, abuse and sexual assaults committed against the children at the home.
Euronews writes that the ministry acknowledged serious and systemic failings at Solgården, and that the state neglected its supervisory duty. Social Minister Monika Rubin of Moderaterne stated that society did not protect these children well enough, as reported by JydskeVestkysten.
Speed of the settlement
For Lauridsen, the timing matters. She told DR that several of the former residents are now old and ill, and that the group has already lost one person before the money arrived.
She is not fully satisfied with the outcome. Per DR, she says notes exist showing that Luthersk Mission knew what was happening at the home. She argues the organization should cover half of the compensation, or otherwise donate money to children living in care institutions.
DR’s earlier background reporting from 2024 stated that Luthersk Mission issued a formal apology to former residents and offered 17,000 kroner before tax for psychological counselling. The same reporting noted that the organization is not legally liable, because Solgården was a self-owning institution.
TV Midtvest spoke with another of the 13, René Madsen, who lived at Solgården from 1960 to 1973. He confirmed that he will receive 300,000 kroner and said there is no excuse for what he endured there.
According to BT, residents have described beatings and sexual assaults carried out by the home’s director and by older boys. The ministry’s press release forms the basis of the reporting in both BT and Ekstra Bladet.
For Lauridsen, the state’s admission carries the greatest weight. She told DR that the acknowledgment means everything, because the authorities have now confirmed that what the former residents described was true and is documented in the files.
