Deputy head of Oxfam quits as Haiti sex scandal escalates

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Deputy head of Oxfam quits as Haiti sex scandal escalates

By Estelle Shirbon

 

An Oxfam shop is seen, in London, Britain, February 11, 2018. REUTERS/Peter Nicholls

 

LONDON (Reuters) - The deputy head of Oxfam resigned on Monday over what she said was the British charity's failure to adequately respond to past allegations of sexual misconduct by some of its staff in Haiti and Chad.

 

One of the best-known international NGOs, with aid programmes running across the globe, Oxfam was under threat of losing its British government funding over sexual misconduct allegations first reported by the Times newspaper last week.

 

The scandal was fast escalating into a broader crisis for Britain's aid sector by bolstering critics in the ruling Conservative Party who have argued that the government should reduce spending on aid in favour of domestic priorities.

 

Aid minister Penny Mordaunt, who threatened on Sunday to withdraw government funding from Oxfam unless it gave the full facts about events in Haiti, summoned senior managers from the charity to a meeting on Monday.

 

"Oxfam made a full and unqualified apology – to me, and to the people of Britain and Haiti - for the appalling behaviour of some of their staff in Haiti in 2011, and for the wider failings of their organisation's response to it," Mordaunt said after meeting Oxfam's chief executive, Mark Goldring.

 

"I told Oxfam they must now demonstrate the moral leadership necessary to address this scandal, rebuild the trust of the British public, their staff and the people they aim to help, and deliver progress on these assurances," she added in a statement.

 

The statement did not address the question of funding. There was no immediate comment from Oxfam.

 

The Charity Commission said it had launched a statutory inquiry. The regulator said it had concerns Oxfam "may not have fully and frankly disclosed material details about the allegations at the time in 2011, its handling of the incidents since, and the impact that these have both had on public trust and confidence".

 

The Times newspaper reported on Friday that some staff who were in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake there had paid for sex with prostitutes. Oxfam has neither confirmed nor denied that specific allegation but has said an internal investigation in 2011 had confirmed sexual misconduct had occurred.

 

Reuters could not independently verify the allegation.

 

Announcing her resignation on Monday, Deputy Chief Executive Penny Lawrence said Oxfam had become aware over the past few days that concerns were raised about the behaviour of staff in Chad as well as Haiti that the organisation failed to adequately act upon.

 

"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," she said.

 

"As programme director at the time, I am ashamed that this happened on my watch and I take full responsibility."

 

U.N. TARGET

 

Oxfam has said that as a result of its internal investigation in 2011, four people were dismissed, and three others - including the Haiti country director who had previously held the same role in Chad - had resigned.

 

Reuters was unable to reach any of the Oxfam staff who worked in Haiti at the time.

 

In its last financial year Oxfam received 32 million pounds ($44 million) from Britain's aid ministry, about 8 percent of its overall income. Whether or not it loses that funding, private donations could be hit by the bad publicity.

 

Founded in 1942, Oxfam is one of Britain's best-known charities. Its 650 shops selling second hand clothes and books to raise funds are a familiar sight on the high street.

 

For a sex scandal to hit such a high-profile brand, it risks affecting the wider British charity sector.

 

Britain is one of only six nations to hit the U.N. target of spending 0.7 percent of gross national income on aid - about 13 billion pounds a year - but there have been increasingly vitriolic attacks on that spending in recent years.

 

Meeting the U.N. target was a policy championed by former Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron as part of his efforts to re-brand his party as more compassionate. But with Cameron gone after campaigning on the losing side in the 2016 Brexit referendum, the political climate on aid has changed.

 

Priti Patel, an aid critic despite being Mordaunt's predecessor as international development minister, said the Haiti incidents were just "the tip of the iceberg" and there was a "culture of denial" in the sector.

 

Jacob Rees-Mogg, a prominent right-wing Conservative lawmaker, delivered to May's office on Friday a petition by readers of the Daily Express newspaper complaining that the aid budget was not well spent and should be cut.

 

(Editing by Alison Williams)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2018-02-13

[DoctorG]

Well, single men overseas, and prostitution. Who would have guessed?

[trainman34014]

Oxfam is finished; it's getting worse by the hour with sexual abuse being pointed at shop managers etc.   Times up !

[SOTIRIOS]

...misappropriation of funds....???

 

...engaging in illegal activities....???

 

...so what about criminal charges....???

 

 

...an 'apology'....???

 

...is that the example set by 'the developed world'....???

 

***

 

...by the way, I hear they are still living in tents amidst the rubble in Haiti....

 

...'charity'.....for what it really is...

 

...wow...

[Ulic]

They were just supporting the local economy. Girls gotta eat to. 

[Baerboxer]

Of course the Head of Oxfam and it's governing body are totally blameless. 

 

Just the Deputy Head fully responsible!

 

Typical behavior.

[Basil B]

Three men in a Pattaya Bar...

One says he was in the SAS 

One says he was in the Navy Seals

The other says he worked for Oxfam

 

 

Who's telling the truth?

[manarak]

the article in the OP is very vague.

what is exactly the alleged "sexual misconduct" ?

 

certainly it can't be just the private hire of prostitutes, especially not if paid for privately ?

or is Oxfam some kind of strict religious christian organization?

 

or do they deny their personnel the right to hire prostitutes?

 

 

[CG1 Blue]

3 minutes ago, manarak said:

the article in the OP is very vague.

what is exactly the alleged "sexual misconduct" ?

 

certainly it can't be just the private hire of prostitutes, especially not if paid for privately ?

or is Oxfam some kind of strict religious christian organization?

 

or do they deny their personnel the right to hire prostitutes?

 

 

I was wondering this myself. And the poverty stricken locals have the right to earn a bit of cash.

[Mac98]

2 hours ago, manarak said:

the article in the OP is very vague.

what is exactly the alleged "sexual misconduct" ?

 

certainly it can't be just the private hire of prostitutes, especially not if paid for privately ?

or is Oxfam some kind of strict religious christian organization?

 

or do they deny their personnel the right to hire prostitutes?

 

 

These NGOs raise donations attacking places such as Thailand, or any place that doesn't cater to metrosexuals, so one of their own sampling the local talent casts doubt on their righteousness.

[jak2002003]

I am the only one to not understand what on earth all the fuss is about?

 

All I can read into the story is that some of Oxfam's staff paid for sex in their free time.

 

What crime has been committed and how has all this blow up to such a large 'sex scandal'?  What is the scandal and sexual abuse?  Someone talking about they are ashamed it happen on their watch.  Why?  I really don't get it and all the fuss in the government and papers and talking about stopping donations to help poor people because some guy had sex with a consenting adult!!!

 

 

 

 

Edited February 13, 2018 by jak2002003

[7by7]

1 hour ago, jak2002003 said:

<snip>

all the fuss in the government and papers and talking about stopping donations to help poor people because some guy had sex with a consenting adult!!!

If reports elsewhere are true, not only were some of these prostitutes not consenting, they weren't adults either!

[chickenslegs]

1 hour ago, jak2002003 said:

I am the only one to not understand what on earth all the fuss is about?

 

All I can read into the story is that some of Oxfam's staff paid for sex in their free time.

 

What crime has been committed and how has all this blow up to such a large 'sex scandal'?  What is the scandal and sexual abuse?  Someone talking about they are ashamed it happen on their watch.  Why?  I really don't get it and all the fuss in the government and papers and talking about stopping donations to help poor people because some guy had sex with a consenting adult!!!

Prostitution is illegal in Haiti, so a crime has been committed - although usually not pursued by the police there.

 

In other articles there are suggestions of under age girls, even paedophilia.

 

Also, seems there is plenty of evidence of aid workers using their position and donations to buy sex, which is disgraceful.

 

This is from Wiki -

Quote

After the 2010 earthquake, many prostitutes from the Dominican Republic crossed over the border, searching out clients amongst the aid workers and UN personal. Dominican women command a premium because of their lighter skin.^[9]

 

In 2015 the UN reported that between 2008 and 2014, members of its peacekeeping mission had sexually abused more than 225 Haitian women in exchange for food, medication, and other items.^[10]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostitution_in_Haiti

 

 

[halloween]

7 hours ago, chickenslegs said:

Prostitution is illegal in Haiti, so a crime has been committed - although usually not pursued by the police there.

 

In other articles there are suggestions of under age girls, even paedophilia.

 

Also, seems there is plenty of evidence of aid workers using their position and donations to buy sex, which is disgraceful.

 

This is from Wiki -

 

 

So by the UN count, about one a week. I'm sure that caused a spike in the crime statistics.

[manarak]

14 hours ago, 7by7 said:

If reports elsewhere are true, not only were some of these prostitutes not consenting, they weren't adults either!

then better reporting is needed, so the readers get the full picture.

 

if only regular prostitution took place, paid for by customers' private funds, I don't think an issue should be raised at all.

 

abuse, forced prostitution and underage sex are completely different of course and should be dealt with appropriately.

Edited February 14, 2018 by manarak