Oxfam hit by predatory abuse scandal

[Cpt. Rishwat]

SEX ABUSE PROBE Warning ‘predatory paedophiles’ are exploiting aid sector as 120 charity workers ‘accused of sexual abuse in past year’

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/55495...ector-charity-workers-abuse-kids-haiti-oxfam/




MORE than 120 workers for Britain's leading charities were accused of sexual abuse in 2017 alone, it was revealed last night.

The damning figures raise fears that paedophiles are systematically applying to become overseas aid workers as part of a sick plot to access vulnerable kids.

Last night former international development secretary Priti Patel warned that "predatory paedophiles" have been allowed to exploit the aid sector.

Figures collected by four of Britain's leading overseas aid charities and seen by The Sunday Times reveal that 125 allegations of sex abuse were made last year.

Scandal-hit Oxfam recorded a staggering 87 incidents, while Save The Children and Christian Aid reported 31 and two respectively.

The British Red Cross admitted there had been a "small number of cases of harrasment reported in the UK", believed to be as many as five.

Of the 31 cases recorded by Save The Children, just 10 were reported to the police - while Oxfam reported 53 of 87.

All four charities receive vast sums from the Department for International Development.

Yesterday International Development secretary Penny Mordaunt vowed to axe funding to Oxfam and "any other organisation that has safeguarding issues".

She added that sexual abuse in the charity sector as "utterly despicable", and vowed to meet the charity commission to discus what more could be done to fight it.

The scale of abuse in the charity sector was revealed last week when it emerged that shamed Oxfam Haiti director Roland van Hauwermeiren, 68,left the charity with six other men after getting caught using prostitutes, downloading “pornographic and illegal material”.

A damning internal report into their conduct concluded: “It cannot be ruled out that any of the prostitutes were under-aged.”

Former Red Cross aid worker Andrew McLeod told The Sunday Times that there was a lack of response to "institutionalised paedophilia" among charity workers.

He blasted: "Many aid workers will have to ask themselves: 'what did I do to stop it?"

Save The Children said all 31 abuse allegations took place in foreign countries and that 16 people had been dismissed as a result.

A Christian Aid spokesman added: "In the past 12 months, Christian Aid has investigated two incidents of sexual misconduct, both of which occurred overseas.

"One investigation led to the dismissal of a staff member, while the other case resulted in disciplinary action.

'Save The Children'. Oh dear, that's starting to look like an unfortunate name for a charity now.

 

[Robert]

Shocking.

It would appear that charity work in stricken zones attracts predatory paedophiles.

 

[DW44]

This is pretty common in third world countries. There was a Swedish consultant on one of our solar power projects who spent most of his downtime at houses of ill repute. Later, on one of the USAID projects, two different people (South African and American) were caught in comprising positions, with the South African getting arrested.

 

[hadi123]

Oxfam's deputy chief executive has resigned over the handling of a sex scandal involving aid workers.

The British charity is accused of concealing the findings of an inquiry into claims staff used prostitutes while delivering aid in Haiti in 2011.

Penny Lawrence said she was "ashamed" and takes full responsibility.

Oxfam - which denies a cover-up - has met with the International Development Secretary in a bid to prevent its government funding from being cut.

Ms Lawrence joined Oxfam GB in 2006 as international programmes director, leading teams across 60 countries, according to the charity's website.

"Concerns were raised about the behaviour of staff in Chad as well as Haiti that we failed to adequately act upon," she said in a statement.

"It is now clear that these allegations - involving the use of prostitutes and which related to behaviour of both the country director and members of his team in Chad - were raised before he moved to Haiti."

The allegations emerged in The Times on Friday, which said Oxfam's country director for Haiti, Roland van Hauwermeiren, used prostitutes at a villa rented for him by Oxfam in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake.

According to the paper, Oxfam knew about concerns over the conduct of Mr van Hauwermeiren and another man when they worked in Chad before they were given senior roles in Haiti.

Oxfam said allegations that underage girls may have been involved were unproven.

Mark Goldring, chief executive of Oxfam GB, thanked Ms Lawrence for her service and said he "deeply respected" her decision to accept personal responsibility.

He told the BBC that Oxfam's efforts to improve since 2011 had not been sufficient, adding: "We've accepted we've got to go further".

He said: "We've increased the training of our staff significantly and we have taken a range of steps to improve the selection and management of our staff."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-43027631

 

[MenInG]

The chairman of the charity Oxfam International, Juan Alberto Fuentes, has been arrested in Guatemala.

He was detained as part of an investigation into a corruption scandal dating back to his time as Guatemala's finance minister.

No charges have been brought so far.

While his arrest is not related to his role at Oxfam, it will heap further pressure on the charity, which is still reeling from revelations that its staff hired prostitutes in Haiti.

'Entirely open'
Oxfam International's executive director Winnie Byanyima said that Mr Fuentes had been "entirely open with his Oxfam board".

"He has assured us that he has co-operated fully with the investigation in the confidence he did not knowingly transgress rules or procedures," Ms Byanyima said.

It comes as Oxfam faces scrutiny over a scandal in Haiti in 2011, where senior aid workers - including the country director Roland Van Hauwermeiren - allegedly paid for sex. Some of the claims say the women may have been underage.

The scandal has forced the resignation of the organisation's deputy chief executive, Penny Lawrence, and shaken public confidence in both Oxfam and other charities.

Read more about the Haiti Oxfam scandal:

In Guatemala, Mr Fuentes is among 10 top former government officials arrested on Tuesday, including former President Álvaro Colom.

The ex-officials are being investigated in connection with a public bus system, which was developed during Mr Colom's government between 2008 and 2012.

No details have been given of the charges those arrested may face.

The investigation is being led by the International Commission against Impunity in Guatemala (CICIG). The commission is a United Nations body created in 2006 designed to strengthen the country's rule of law.

Ex-leaders in the spotlight
Apart from Mr Colom, those arrested are the former ministers of finance, interior, education, defence, employment, economy, health, culture and the environment.

How Guatemalans began daring to say what they think
Attorney General Thelma Aldana said that her office was investigating the purchase by Álvaro Colom's government of more than 3,000 buses in 2009.

Ms Aldana says that only 455 of the buses ever arrived in Guatemala.

Mr Colom is the second former president to be investigated over corruption by CICIG in the past months.

His successor in office, Otto Pérez Molina, who governed from 2012 to 2015, is due to stand trial for his alleged role in a huge corruption scheme involving Guatemala's customs service.

CICIG also said current President Jimmy Morales should be investigated because of alleged funding irregularities in his 2015 election campaign.

In response, President Morales said the CICIG's head had been interfering in Guatemala's domestic affairs and ordered his deportation, but the order was overturned by the country's highest court.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-43046966

 

[humzy]

This is pretty common in third world countries. There was a Swedish consultant on one of our solar power projects who spent most of his downtime at houses of ill repute. Later, on one of the USAID projects, two different people (South African and American) were caught in comprising positions, with the South African getting arrested.

There is a big difference between visiting brothels and sexually abusing children.

 

[DW44]

There is a big difference between visiting brothels and sexually abusing children.

Haven't followed the case but from what I understand, it was about Oxfam staff paying sex workers. The child abuse issue, if I'm not wrong, was with UN forces in Africa.

 

[James]

The biggest surprise for me is that many people are calling this a surprise.

 

[Abdullah719]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">There’s absolutely nothing Oxfam’s management could do from this point that could make things wor- <a href="https://t.co/RF7YZCvdZK">pic.twitter.com/RF7YZCvdZK</a></p>— Alan White (@aljwhite) <a href="https://twitter.com/aljwhite/status/964804159877894144?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 17, 2018</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[humzy]

Haven't followed the case but from what I understand, it was about Oxfam staff paying sex workers. The child abuse issue, if I'm not wrong, was with UN forces in Africa.

The article above discusses Oxfam in relation to "sexual abuse" thats a far cry from paying sex workers. Unless those sex workers are underage.

 

[Cpt. Rishwat]

The article above discusses Oxfam in relation to "sexual abuse" thats a far cry from paying sex workers. Unless those sex workers are underage.

From what I read, they often are. I mean in a disaster hit zone, who is going to check?