Sexual misconduct allegations mount against Oxfam

  • 12/02/2018

Sexual misconduct allegations are mounting against Oxfam's British office.

It's now claimed staff hired prostitutes while they were meant to be helping in Africa.

It follows accusations that aid workers paid for sex while working in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake - which killed over 200,000 people.

The UK government has said the charity cannot remain a partner unless it accounts for its actions.

Oxfam has also been criticised for allowing disgraced staff members to resign from the organisation and seek new aid jobs elsewhere.

The government says it will cut cash to all charities that do not comply with its new review into safeguarding on overseas work.

 Aid minister Penny Mordaunt described reports of sexual exploitation in the charity sector as "utterly despicable".

She said she would write to British charities working overseas demanding they declare any problems relating to the duty they have to protect their staff and the people they work with from harm and abuse - so-called 'safeguarding'.

She also wanted charities to ensure any historical concerns have been properly handled, and spell out their policies for handling such cases. She will meet with the charities regulator this week.

Oxfam says an investigation it launched in 2011 led to a new safeguarding team being created and four staff being dismissed, but there will be further questions to answer in its showdown with the government.

Newshub/Reuters