New charity embroiled in aid sex abuse scandal
SIX cases of child abuse by staff and volunteers at one of Britain’s biggest children’s aid charities have been uncovered in the past year, The Daily Telegraph can disclose.
Plan International said last night there were “six confirmed cases of sexual abuse and exploitation of children” in the year to June 2017, describing five as “criminal” in nature.
Nearly 200 aid organisations are preparing to disclose to the Government on Monday how they are protecting children and the vulnerable in the wake of the Oxfam prostitution scandal.
Plan International, which works for children’s rights and equality for girls, received £6 million of taxpayers’ money last year. It said in a statement: “From 1 July 2016 to 30 June 2017, Plan International had six confirmed cases of sexual abuse and exploitation of children by staff, volunteers or partner organisations. One involved a Plan International staff member and the other five were volunteers or partner organisations. The staff member was dismissed without a reference and contracts of volunteers or partner organisations were terminated. Five out of the total six cases were of a criminal nature and were reported to the local authorities… No Plan International UK staff were involved in any of these.”
Plan International said over the same period there were nine incidents of sexual harassment or misconduct by staff against adults. None of the charity’s UK staff were involved.
Charities are reeling in the wake of a scandal sparked by senior Oxfam staff who, while working in Haiti following the 2010 earthquake, paid prostitutes for sex. Pauline Latham, a Tory member of the Common’s international development committee, said: “The aid industry has degenerated from people doing good to a number of men abusing the trust some of the most vulnerable women and girls have put in them.”
Last night it emerged that staff at Save the Children had been sent an internal guidance document advising them of what to say if asked about the departure of Brendan Cox, who quit the charity in 2015 after allegations of sexual misconduct. The document, obtained by Channel 4 News, told employees to decline to comment on individual matters or say “I don’t know” if asked why Mr Cox had left.