Children at a prestigious ballet school in Vienna were frequently abused and told to smoke to stay skinny, an Austrian investigation has found.
A government-backed commission found child performers at the Academy of the Vienna State Opera routinely had their welfare disregarded.
The claims was first reported in April by Austrian newspaper Falter. They alleged young dancers were hit, scratched and pulled by their hair. They were also humiliated about their bodies, with some developing eating disorders as a result.
The commission then investigated, interviewing 24 people and holding 16 hearings, reports the Guardian. It found students between 10 and 18 were told to smoke.
"We received reports that advice was given to students to start smoking so they would be less hungry," said commission chairwoman Susanne Reindl-Krauskopf.
It also found children were addressed by their dress size as well as their names.
The Vienna State Opera says it has implemented measures to ensure student welfare. The number of performances has been reduced and a course focusing on nutrition and body image has been introduced.
However, the Guardian reports the commission has dismissed these measures as insufficient.
Founded in 1771, the Vienna ballet academy is one of the most famous in Europe. Dancers who study there often move on to dance for the world's most famous companies, including London's Royal Ballet and New York's American Ballet Theatre.
