Children’s NGO Sovann Komar yesterday claimed it had uncovered compelling evidence that sacked co-founder and former executive director Arun Sothea was complicit in sexual abuse of children, and treated them cruelly, including by starving them. Mr Sothea was terminated from his position as Executive Director of the NGO Sovann Komar LLC on 23 August, along with four members of top management and other staffers, including guards.

 

They were dismissed for allegedly committing financial fraud, misusing organisational funds, corruption, breach of trust, physical abuse, perpetuating an abusive environment, compromising the safety and well-being of children, negligence, dereliction of duties, nepotism and coercion. In a press statement issued yesterday, Sovann Komar said that during his time with the NGO, Mr Sothea physically assaulted and gravely endangered children.

 

“In an extraordinary act of punishment, one of the children was starved for more than one week before Mr Sothea, who condoned the abuse and action of starvation, granted permission to concerned wardens at the village to provide the child with food,” the press statement said. It alleged that Mr Sothea’s apparent girlfriend and staff members of the village had psychologically tortured a child, while he was held in an office at the premises for several days, by scaring him with ghost stories and malicious tricks.

 

read more https://www.khmertimeskh.com/50642393/ngo-accuses-sacked-founder-of-torture-child-sex-abuse/

close all the NGO's

 

27 minutes ago, jobsworth said:

close all the NGO's

 

closing all of them will leave a lot of kids out in the cold.

trafficked children, children coerced into prostitution, orphans, have virtually nowhere to go to but an NGO or Religious entity, and the reputation of either has been equally tainted by incompetent or greedy staff.

a) Better screening of staff, Learn what early warning signs to look for.

b) serious auditing of the books, not just counting the beans because that way one never finds out how much has been consumed and/or constructed outside.
c) ongoing monitoring and unannounced audits.