Dutch Youth Care Abuse in Spain: Huize Soria Explained

Dutch youth care abuse in Spain has come to light after a months-long Nieuwsuur investigation revealed that a Dutch-run youth home, Huize Soria, subjected troubled teenagers to extreme treatment methods for two decades. The facility near Aspe in Alicante received tens of millions of euros in Dutch youth care funding while experts say minors faced what amounts to “structural abuse and child torture.” Sixteen former residents have now spoken publicly for the first time, describing punishment methods that were banned under Dutch law.

What happened at Huize Soria in Spain?

Huize Soria operated for about 20 years as a family-style group home for roughly ten teenagers at a time, placed there by Dutch youth care providers and juvenile probation services. Many of the 265 minors who passed through had long histories in foster homes and institutions. Instead of therapeutic care, former clients describe a repressive regime: being locked behind an electric fence, denied food for days, forced outside in underwear during winter, and made to stand in the sun until their skin blistered.

The treatment methods described by 16 former residents

According to Nieuwsuur, the Dutch couple running the home used banned freedom-restricting measures. Contact with the outside world was strictly controlled: video calls with parents were sometimes blocked for months or only allowed in the presence of the house parents, who also read all emails. Continuous camera surveillance was used in shared spaces and across the estate. Education was only provided when the house parents decided it was appropriate.

All former clients said scapegoats were singled out, and the rest of the group was pressured to join in humiliation or abuse. One described horse manure being thrown over a younger boy. “You have no choice. If you don’t participate, you become one of the scapegoats,” a former resident said. Trauma expert Leony Coppens said the accounts show many hallmarks of what international literature calls “child torture.”

How much Dutch youth care funding went to Huize Soria?

Over twenty years, Huize Soria received tens of millions of euros from Dutch care budgets, despite the fact that freedom-restricting measures are only permitted in designated closed youth care facilities in the Netherlands under strict legal conditions — never abroad. Youth law researcher and child judge Bart Tromp of the University of Groningen said: “It can never be that under the guise of youth protection, or by adding the word ‘pedagogical,’ you systematically film all young people.”

Why did authorities continue placing children there?

From 2016 onwards, the Dutch Health and Youth Care Inspectorate (IGJ) received reports about the institution. A former resident filed a police complaint for abuse in 2019, and the Amsterdam Children’s Ombudsman conducted an investigation. Yet care organizations including Driestroom and Levvel, as well as child protection agencies in the Netherlands, kept placing minors at Huize Soria. Driestroom said finding a careful balance within legal frameworks is “a challenge,” while emphasising the complexity of the young people’s needs. Tromp rejected that defence: “In a rule-of-law state, everyone is equal. As a difficult young person you have the right to the same protection as an easy young person.”

Impact and next steps

The Spanish inspection ordered Huize Soria to stop immediately at the end of September 2026 after Nieuwsuur’s reporting, because its permits were not in order. Huize Soria categorically denies the abuse allegations, saying it is bound by client confidentiality. Seven minors remained at the time and were being returned to the Netherlands. The Dutch inspectorate has said it cannot supervise facilities abroad — a gap that international youth care oversight campaigners say must be closed.

The case has renewed scrutiny of Dutch youth care system accountability and whether millions in public funds should have been sent to an unregistered foreign facility. For former residents and their families, the question remains how this continued for twenty years despite repeated warning signs.

Frequently asked questions

What is Huize Soria?

Huize Soria was a Dutch-run youth care home in Aspe, Alicante, Spain, that housed Dutch minors with behavioural problems for about 20 years. It was shut down by Spanish authorities in September 2026.

What abuses are alleged at Huize Soria?

Sixteen former residents describe being locked behind electric fencing, denied food, forced outside in winter underwear, made to stand in the sun until blistered, isolated, filmed constantly, and pressured to abuse scapegoats.

How much money did Huize Soria receive?

The home received tens of millions of euros in Dutch youth care funding over two decades, despite not being authorised to use freedom-restricting measures abroad.

Who placed children at Huize Soria?

Dutch youth care providers including Driestroom and Levvel, as well as youth protection agencies and juvenile probation services, placed children there even after receiving abuse reports.

What happens next?

Spanish authorities have closed the facility and seven remaining minors were being returned to the Netherlands. Campaigners are calling for stricter oversight of Dutch-funded youth care abroad.