{"id":7394,"date":"2019-06-11T21:40:43","date_gmt":"2019-06-12T04:40:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/?p=7394"},"modified":"2019-06-12T07:01:44","modified_gmt":"2019-06-12T14:01:44","slug":"post1-57","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worldcampaign.net\/?p=7394","title":{"rendered":"“Oxfam failed to act on reports its workers were raping girls as young as 12, damning report concludes”, The Independent"},"content":{"rendered":"

May Bulman,\u00a0Social Affairs Correspondent,\u00a0<\/span>London, 11 June 2019<\/p>\n

Senior\u00a0staff\u00a0failed to\u00a0alert law enforcement to allegations\u00a0aid workers were having sex with minors, a damning Charity Commission report concludes<\/em><\/p>\n

Oxfam<\/a> failed to act on reports children were being sexually abused by its workers in Haiti<\/a> in 2011, according to a major Charity Commission inquiry which concluded the allegations were \u201cnot taken seriously enough\u201d.<\/p>\n

A report by the Charity Commission<\/a> into Oxfam GB, undertaken in response to revelations last year of\u00a0sexual exploitation by its aid workers, concludes the safety of potential victims took \u201csecond place\u201d.<\/p>\n

It discloses\u00a0a series of emails received by the NGO\u00a0in 2011 alleging some workers were having sex with women and girls, including minors, in refugee camps after their homes were destroyed by the earthquake which devastated the country in 2010.<\/p>\n

Oxfam suspected the emails were not genuine, and did not\u00a0raise\u00a0them with local police.<\/p>\n

In one case, two emails dated 18 July 2011 and 20 August 2011 \u2013 both said to be from a 13-year-old Haitian girl \u2013 alleged she and a 12-year-old friend had suffered physical abuse and other misconduct at the hands of Oxfam staff.<\/p>\n

The emails stated the girls had been engaging in prostitution\u00a0and the author had been \u201cbeaten and used by two men who I know work for you\u201d. It continued: \u201cThey also have a boss who works for you and I have not met, but my young friend. She is 12. Has had sex with him.\u201d<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

The inquiry established that the\u00a0emails were not raised with any law enforcement at the time\u00a0and former\u00a0trustees said they were not made\u00a0aware of them.<\/p>\n

Taking into consideration the \u201cseriousness of the allegations\u201d made in the emails, as well as the \u201cclear risks to the safety and security of those minors\u201d if they were true, the Commission said Oxfam \u201cshould have tried harder\u201d and taken more steps at the time to identify the source of the concerns and follow up the allegations.<\/p>\n

\u201cOxfam GB should not have taken the risk with the safety of minors. It should have reported the possibility of two girls being at risk to the local law enforcement authorities \u2026\u00a0The risk to and impact on the victims appeared to take second place and was not taken seriously enough,\u201d it said.<\/p>\n

The Charity Commission said that given the period of time that had passed, it would not be possible to conclude with sufficient certainty whether minors were involved or at risk.<\/p>\n