Icelandic Woman Details Abuse at Foster Home
Why this is here: The report includes testimony from multiple individuals corroborating the abuse claims, suggesting a pattern of mistreatment at the foster home during the 1970s.
Guðrún Glódís Gunnarsdóttir publicly described abuse she experienced at a foster home in Mosfellssveit in 1973 and 1974. The home was run by Waltraud Paulsen, a German woman, and her family. Gunnarsdóttir alleges she suffered physical, sexual, and psychological abuse including sexual assault, starvation, and forced labor.
Other individuals who resided at the home during the same period corroborate claims of abuse by Paulsen. One man, who wished to remain anonymous, stated he experienced beatings, sexual abuse, and was forced to perform hard labor. He left the home at age twelve, cycling to Reykjavík where police intervened.
Gunnarsdóttir now seeks a formal investigation into the foster home. She believes an investigation is necessary to address the harm caused to multiple children. Paulsen, now known as Anna María Paulsen, currently resides in a care facility with dementia.