{"id":401813,"date":"2018-02-16T11:18:17","date_gmt":"2018-02-16T11:18:17","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/citifmonline.com\/?p=401813"},"modified":"2018-02-16T11:18:17","modified_gmt":"2018-02-16T11:18:17","slug":"oxfam-sex-scandal-director-promises-justice-victims","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/citifmonline.com\/2018\/02\/oxfam-sex-scandal-director-promises-justice-victims\/","title":{"rendered":"Oxfam sex scandal: Director promises justice for victims"},"content":{"rendered":"<p class=\"story-body__introduction\">Oxfam says it will set up a commission to investigate past and present allegations of exploitation by staff.<\/p>\n<p>Oxfam International&#8217;s executive director Winnie Byanyima said it would &#8220;do justice&#8221; and &#8220;atone for the past&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>She invited victims to come forward &#8220;for justice to be done&#8221; for them, saying she was &#8220;here for all the women who have been abused&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>The British charity has faced\u00a0criticism over the way it handled claims staff hired prostitutes in Haiti in 2011.<\/p>\n<p>She said the organisation was &#8220;hurt&#8221;, but added: &#8220;There is no way this organisation can die&#8230; the world needs it.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Ms Byanyima, the most senior Oxfam executive to speak on the issue, said she first heard of the controversy after news reports last week.<\/p>\n<p>In an interview with the BBC&#8217;s diplomatic correspondent James Landale, she switched to speaking in a Ugandan language to make an apology: &#8220;From the bottom of my heart forgive us, forgive Oxfam.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>She admitted she could not guarantee there were not sex offenders currently working at the organisation but vowed Oxfam would &#8220;build a new culture that doesn&#8217;t tolerate that behaviour&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p><strong>Charity reform<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>She explained that the reforms that will take place at Oxfam will include:<\/p>\n<ul class=\"story-body__unordered-list\">\n<li class=\"story-body__list-item\">setting up a high-level independent commission that will look into culture and practices at the organisation, with a mandate to investigate past and current claims of sexual exploitation<\/li>\n<li class=\"story-body__list-item\">more than tripling the budget for the charity&#8217;s safeguarding team, and doubling the number of staff working in the department<\/li>\n<li class=\"story-body__list-item\">setting up a global database of accredited referees to ensure sex offenders cannot falsify references and reoffend at other charities<\/li>\n<li class=\"story-body__list-item\">making the organisation&#8217;s &#8220;whistleblowing mechanism&#8221; external, safe and confidential<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Earlier this month news reports said that during a humanitarian mission in Haiti in 2011, the charity&#8217;s country director\u00a0Roland van Hauwermeiren hired prostitutes at a villa paid for by Oxfam.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"media-landscape has-caption full-width\"><span class=\"image-and-copyright-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"responsive-image__img js-image-replace\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef-1.bbci.co.uk\/news\/624\/cpsprodpb\/5A3D\/production\/_100010132_mediaitem100010131.jpg\" alt=\"Roland van Hauwermeiren, believe to be in Chad in 2008.\" width=\"976\" height=\"549\" data-highest-encountered-width=\"624\" \/>Roland Van Hauwermeiren worked in Chad from 2006-09 before going to Haiti in 2010<\/span><\/figure>\n<p>Mr Van Hauwermeiren, who left Oxfam in 2011 amid a sexual misconduct inquiry,\u00a0has denied hiring prostitutes but said he had &#8220;intimate relations&#8221;\u00a0with a woman who was &#8220;not a prostitute&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>Oxfam had staff working in Haiti following the earthquake in the country which killed about 200,000 people in 2010.<\/p>\n<p>As a result of the revelation, the charity has faced staunch criticism from the British government and\u00a0the Haitian president.<\/p>\n<p>International Development Secretary\u00a0Penny Mordaunt has threatened to cut the charity&#8217;s government funding, which was \u00a332m last year.<\/p>\n<p>The charity has also lost a number of celebrity ambassadors including\u00a0Good Will Hunting actress Minnie Driver, and Nobel Peace Prize winner Archbishop Desmond Tutu.<\/p>\n<p>Ms Byanyima said she was sad to lose ambassadors she &#8220;respects so much&#8221;, but added: &#8220;What hurts me most is out there in Haiti, there are poor women who have been abused and have not received justice.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The Charity Commission is to\u00a0launch a full inquiry into Oxfam\u00a0as it has concerns the organisation may not have &#8220;full and frankly disclosed material details&#8221; about the Haiti sex scandal.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"media-landscape has-caption full-width\"><span class=\"image-and-copyright-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" class=\"responsive-image__img js-image-replace\" src=\"https:\/\/ichef.bbci.co.uk\/news\/624\/cpsprodpb\/1B66\/production\/_100041070_tutunewafp22sep17.jpg\" alt=\"Archbishop Tutu, 22 Sep 17\" width=\"976\" height=\"549\" data-highest-encountered-width=\"624\" \/>Archbishop Tutu is &#8220;deeply disappointed&#8221; over alleged misconduct at Oxfam<\/span><\/figure>\n<p>On Thursday a new allegation came to light that a worker fired by Oxfam over sexual misconduct allegations in\u00a0Haiti was rehired later the same year by the charity.<\/p>\n<p>Oxfam said its decision to rehire the man in Ethiopia was a &#8220;serious error&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p>Oxfam has almost 10,000 staff working in more than 90 countries across the globe.<\/p>\n<p>&#8211;<\/p>\n<p>Source: BBC<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Oxfam says it will set up a commission to investigate past and present allegations of exploitation by staff. Oxfam International&#8217;s executive director Winnie Byanyima said it would &#8220;do justice&#8221; and &#8220;atone for the past&#8221;. She invited victims to come forward &#8220;for justice to be done&#8221; for them, saying she was &#8220;here for all the women [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":14,"featured_media":401820,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[107],"tags":[5562],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v20.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Oxfam sex scandal: Director promises justice for victims - Citi 97.3 FM - Relevant Radio. 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