In the Australian state of Victoria, a scandal broke out around the elite youth summer camp Lord and Lady Somers, where teenagers, according to media reports, could be subjected to humiliating and psychologically damaging acts, including re-enactments of the events of the Holocaust.
In the Australian state of Victoria, police and children's services are investigating notorious youth camps, where teenagers are allegedly subjected to humiliating and traumatic “training” in the annual Big Camp program.
According to the New York Post, citing the Herald Sun, male camp participants aged 16 to 18 were allegedly given “role-playing exercises,” including nightly Holocaust re-enactments. Teenagers were forced to dig their own “graves” on the beach and share “baths” that simulated gas chambers. Witnesses claim that some participants were asked to wear electric collars, and that unruly people were taken to so-called pig farms, where they were doused with water and punished.
Previously, in 2023, an independent review found “significant risks to the mental and psychological health of participants.” Authorities subsequently recommended limiting “stressful and humiliating practices,” but according to journalists, some of them continued to be used in January 2026. Reports cited other shocking incidents including lewd performances in canteens, simulated animal cruelty, and pressure from senior male volunteers to maintain “strict discipline.”
Representatives of Lord Somers Camp and Power House said that following the complaint, they independently contacted the police and the children's trust. But the police found no basis for criminal prosecution.
However, former campers and accusers are pushing for a new independent investigation. They say the camp's “cult atmosphere” and traditions “cause serious negative consequences” for teens.
Despite the scandal, the camp continues to operate and receive annual federal funding, receiving more than $3.8 million in government funding by 2025.
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