Aid department workers reported for sex harassment

THE Government department responsible for tackling the “sex for aid” scandal has admitted up to four of its own staff have been reported for sexual harassment over the past year.

Penny Mordaunt, the International Development Secretary, has ordered an internal investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct after her department published figures online that implicated some of its own staff.

Sources said that the information had been uncovered as part of a review of the department and its partners in the wake of the Oxfam scandal.

They added the review was only three quarters complete and could not rule out the possibility that more reports of misconduct may be uncovered.

The controversy unfolded hours after Ms Mordaunt criticised 18 charities for failing to meet the Government’s deadline on reporting back on safeguarding and historic sexual abuse cases. All 179 charities in receipt of Government funding were expected to report back yesterday, but Ms Mordaunt said that “unbelievably” some failed to respond and could therefore have their funding withdrawn.

The review findings will be shared at a safeguarding summit with the Charity Commission next week.

It follows hundreds of cases of sexual abuse exposed in the wake of the Oxfam scandal in Haiti, where aid workers were found to have paid earthquake survivors for sex.

This newspaper revealed yesterday that the BBC’S official aid charity, BBC Media Action, had sacked six staff for sexual misconduct but then failed to inform ministers.

Separately, Save the Children also faced new questions over its employment procedures after it emerged that a senior official who worked at the charity for more than 20 years was sacked in 2014 for past offences.