This article is from the source 'independent' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/oxfam-chief-prostitution-murdering-babies-mark-goldring-select-committee-sex-abuse-misconduct-aid-a8219131.html
The article has changed 6 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Oxfam received 26 new reports of alleged sexual misconduct after Haiti scandal emerged, MPs told | Oxfam received 26 new reports of alleged sexual misconduct after Haiti scandal emerged, MPs told |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Oxfam has received 26 new allegations of sexual misconduct since the revelations over a 2011 scandal in Haiti, leaders have said. | Oxfam has received 26 new allegations of sexual misconduct since the revelations over a 2011 scandal in Haiti, leaders have said. |
| Mark Goldring, the chief executive of Oxfam GB, told MPs the charity had put out a call for people to come forward with reports. | Mark Goldring, the chief executive of Oxfam GB, told MPs the charity had put out a call for people to come forward with reports. |
| “Across Oxfam Great Britain we have had about 26 stories, reports come to us which were either new reports come out as a result of the stories, or earlier stories where people said, 'I didn't necessarily report this at the time',” he said. | “Across Oxfam Great Britain we have had about 26 stories, reports come to us which were either new reports come out as a result of the stories, or earlier stories where people said, 'I didn't necessarily report this at the time',” he said. |
| “Over an extended period of time, I am not talking about recent cases. | “Over an extended period of time, I am not talking about recent cases. |
| "We really want people to come forward wherever they are and whenever this happened. Some of those cases relate to the UK, some of them relate to our international programme." | "We really want people to come forward wherever they are and whenever this happened. Some of those cases relate to the UK, some of them relate to our international programme." |
| He was appearing before the International Development Committee, which announced a full inquiry on sexual exploitation in the wider aid sector. | He was appearing before the International Development Committee, which announced a full inquiry on sexual exploitation in the wider aid sector. |
| Chair Stephen Twigg said Oxfam had appeared to “put their reputation ahead of their beneficiaries”. | Chair Stephen Twigg said Oxfam had appeared to “put their reputation ahead of their beneficiaries”. |
| “It is very clear from the evidence that there is a much wider issue across the sector and that these are not new issues - the world has known about these issues for a very long time,” he added. | “It is very clear from the evidence that there is a much wider issue across the sector and that these are not new issues - the world has known about these issues for a very long time,” he added. |
| “You have got to get your house in order and demonstrate to the British people that you are getting your house in order.” | “You have got to get your house in order and demonstrate to the British people that you are getting your house in order.” |
| Mr Goldring was asked to apologise for his previous comments claiming the response to sexual misconduct by aid workers in Haiti was “out of proportion”. | Mr Goldring was asked to apologise for his previous comments claiming the response to sexual misconduct by aid workers in Haiti was “out of proportion”. |
| “The intensity and the ferocity of the attack makes you wonder, what did we do? We murdered babies in their cots?" he told the Guardian. "Certainly, the scale and the intensity of the attacks feels out of proportion to the level of culpability. I struggle to understand it.” | “The intensity and the ferocity of the attack makes you wonder, what did we do? We murdered babies in their cots?" he told the Guardian. "Certainly, the scale and the intensity of the attacks feels out of proportion to the level of culpability. I struggle to understand it.” |
| Asked whether he wanted to apologise for the "grossly inappropriate" remarks, he said: “I do apologise, I was thinking under stress, I had given many interviews…I was thinking about the amazing work I’d seen Oxfam do across the world, most recently with refugees coming from Myanmar. | Asked whether he wanted to apologise for the "grossly inappropriate" remarks, he said: “I do apologise, I was thinking under stress, I had given many interviews…I was thinking about the amazing work I’d seen Oxfam do across the world, most recently with refugees coming from Myanmar. |
| “I should not have said those things, it is not for Oxfam to judge issues of proportionality or motivation.” | “I should not have said those things, it is not for Oxfam to judge issues of proportionality or motivation.” |
| Mr Goldring said 7,000 direct debits have been cancelled since the scandal broke 10 days ago, while Oxfam has been barred from requesting any new funding from the Government until it is satisfied it “can meet the high standards we expect of our partners”. | Mr Goldring said 7,000 direct debits have been cancelled since the scandal broke 10 days ago, while Oxfam has been barred from requesting any new funding from the Government until it is satisfied it “can meet the high standards we expect of our partners”. |
| Oxfam has released the results of an internal inquiry into sexual misconduct by staff in Haiti, which resulted in four employees being sacked and three others including the country director resigning. | Oxfam has released the results of an internal inquiry into sexual misconduct by staff in Haiti, which resulted in four employees being sacked and three others including the country director resigning. |
| Its own 2011 investigation called for other charities to be warned of “problem staff”, but Oxfam rehired one of the men involved for a number of those involved to take up other posts in the aid sector and others were able to gain work at charities including Action Against Hunger. | Its own 2011 investigation called for other charities to be warned of “problem staff”, but Oxfam rehired one of the men involved for a number of those involved to take up other posts in the aid sector and others were able to gain work at charities including Action Against Hunger. |
| Theresa May described the disclosures in the report as “absolutely horrific” and warned standards had fallen “far below” those expect of the charities and the NGOs that work with the Government. | Theresa May described the disclosures in the report as “absolutely horrific” and warned standards had fallen “far below” those expect of the charities and the NGOs that work with the Government. |
| Mr Goldring, who took up his post two years after the investigation, said he was given “clear assurances that the Haiti case had been well-handled” and had no reason to believe it should be reopened. | Mr Goldring, who took up his post two years after the investigation, said he was given “clear assurances that the Haiti case had been well-handled” and had no reason to believe it should be reopened. |
| After the original investigation, Oxfam issued a press release revealing its findings of “serious misconduct'' involving bullying, intimidation and breaches of the charity's code of conduct but made no mention of sexual exploitation or prostitution. | After the original investigation, Oxfam issued a press release revealing its findings of “serious misconduct'' involving bullying, intimidation and breaches of the charity's code of conduct but made no mention of sexual exploitation or prostitution. |
| "At the time, people thought that was being transparent,” he said. “We know now that that was not enough. | "At the time, people thought that was being transparent,” he said. “We know now that that was not enough. |
| "My colleagues at the time made a set of decisions about how public to go. With hindsight they made the wrong call.” | "My colleagues at the time made a set of decisions about how public to go. With hindsight they made the wrong call.” |
| He said Oxfam had received no warnings over disgraced country director Roland van Hauwermeiren from a charity where he previously worked, but admitted “failings” allowing one sacked member of staff to be re-hired at Oxfam and another to be given a reference. | He said Oxfam had received no warnings over disgraced country director Roland van Hauwermeiren from a charity where he previously worked, but admitted “failings” allowing one sacked member of staff to be re-hired at Oxfam and another to be given a reference. |
| “If any good can come out of the horror of Haiti and the past couple of weeks it’s a more intensive commitment across the whole sector that we root this out both in a practical way and by getting to grips with culture, power relations, responsibility and values,” Mr Goldring said. | “If any good can come out of the horror of Haiti and the past couple of weeks it’s a more intensive commitment across the whole sector that we root this out both in a practical way and by getting to grips with culture, power relations, responsibility and values,” Mr Goldring said. |
| Pauline Latham, a Conservative member of the committee, heavily criticised Oxfam for not reporting the use of prostitutes to police and reforming too slowly. | Pauline Latham, a Conservative member of the committee, heavily criticised Oxfam for not reporting the use of prostitutes to police and reforming too slowly. |
| She accused the charity of starting a new database of accredited referees “only because you were found out”, despite sexual abuse being “common knowledge” in the aid sector. | She accused the charity of starting a new database of accredited referees “only because you were found out”, despite sexual abuse being “common knowledge” in the aid sector. |
| “Your organisations are not victims in this, it’s the women and girls being abused by men that you employ and other aid agencies,” Ms Latham said. | “Your organisations are not victims in this, it’s the women and girls being abused by men that you employ and other aid agencies,” Ms Latham said. |
| “This is so shocking - no wonder the world’s angry, and no wonder people are questioning whether any money should be given to charities. | “This is so shocking - no wonder the world’s angry, and no wonder people are questioning whether any money should be given to charities. |
| “Sadly, the people who should benefit from this are the poor people in different countries and they’re going to lose out because of all your behaviours in the aid sector .” | “Sadly, the people who should benefit from this are the poor people in different countries and they’re going to lose out because of all your behaviours in the aid sector .” |
| Winnie Byanyima, the executive director of Oxfam International, said it had been working with other charities on a database of workers but decided to launch its own last week because of slow progress. | Winnie Byanyima, the executive director of Oxfam International, said it had been working with other charities on a database of workers but decided to launch its own last week because of slow progress. |
| “We were not doing nothing, we were working on it but we have reached the point where the world has woken up,” she added. | “We were not doing nothing, we were working on it but we have reached the point where the world has woken up,” she added. |
| “We have been improving every year but we are not where we want to be and we admit that.” | “We have been improving every year but we are not where we want to be and we admit that.” |
| Oxfam’s chair of trustees, Caroline Thomson, said the scandal and global reaction had been “a real wake-up call not just for Oxfam but for the whole sector”. | Oxfam’s chair of trustees, Caroline Thomson, said the scandal and global reaction had been “a real wake-up call not just for Oxfam but for the whole sector”. |
| "We are ashamed of what happened in Haiti,” she told the committee. “We don't think it was well handled and our task now is to make sure we report always with transparency and accountability. | "We are ashamed of what happened in Haiti,” she told the committee. “We don't think it was well handled and our task now is to make sure we report always with transparency and accountability. |
| "My task is to make sure we never again can be at risk of being perceived to have put reputation over accountability." | |
| Representatives of Save the Children, which published a report documenting aid workers’ abuse of children as young as six in Haiti in 2008, proposed a “humanitarian passport scheme”. | |
| Steve Reeves, the charity’s director of safeguarding, said both girls and boys were being abused by aid workers and UN peacekeepers globally in a pattern of behaviour “largely manifested by men”. | |
| Save the Children spent more than £100,000 on criminal records checks for staff last year and investigated 193 allegations in 2016. | |
| CEO Kevin Watkins said 53 of those were taken to full investigation, 20 files were handed over to police and 11 people dismissed | |
| “Difficult to know if you’re catching the tip of the iceberg or if you’re catching the iceberg itself…it’s a systemic problem,” he told the committee. | |
| “We [in the aid sector] can’t sit around and wait for somebody else to solve this problem…the challenge is to move very quickly and build the coalitions we need to drive it forward.” | |
| The committee will also take evidence from the permanent secretary at the Department for International Development, Matthew Rycroft about what the department knew over the alleged use of prostitutes by aid workers. | |
| It came after the charity issued a formal apology to the government of Haiti, where the President said “basic human decency” was violated in the wake of a devastating earthquake that left more than 100,000 people dead in 2010. | It came after the charity issued a formal apology to the government of Haiti, where the President said “basic human decency” was violated in the wake of a devastating earthquake that left more than 100,000 people dead in 2010. |
| “There is nothing more shameful than a sexual predator using the veil of catastrophe as a means to exploit the vulnerable in their most defenceless moments,” Jovenel Moise said. | “There is nothing more shameful than a sexual predator using the veil of catastrophe as a means to exploit the vulnerable in their most defenceless moments,” Jovenel Moise said. |
| “This case also is disheartening because the funds enabling these crimes were given in the name of the British people and with altruistic intent.” | “This case also is disheartening because the funds enabling these crimes were given in the name of the British people and with altruistic intent.” |