Save The Children in new crisis
Watchdog challenges charity chief over ‘conflict of interest’ in sex case review Staff were warned not to discuss ‘sudden departure’ of murdered MP’s husband
THE boss of Save The Children was under mounting pressure last night after charity watchdogs launched an investigation into his actions.
Chief executive Kevin Watkins faces becoming the latest highprofile figure to come under scrutiny in the scandal that has engulfed the charity.
The Charity Commission said it was seeking ‘urgent clarification’ over a possible conflict of interest involving Mr Watkins and a review he ordered into sexual harassment by senior figures at Save The Children. The decision reflects claims by critics that the charity has been ‘less than transparent’ in the conduct of some of its affairs.
As a trustee at the time the charity was first made aware of the sexual harassment incidents, the watchdog said it would be wrong for Mr Watkins to ‘mark his own homework’.
Last night it was confirmed that Mr Watkins had recused himself from the review and had informed the Charity Commission. The dramatic developments come in the wake of The Mail on Sunday’s revelations over the past two weeks on how former Save The Children executive Brendan Cox allegedly sexually assaulted a young female charity employee in 2015.
It led to Mr Cox – the widower of Labour MP Jo Cox, who was murdered by far-Right extremists in 2016 – quitting two charities set up in her name.
Weeks after Mr Cox left Save The Children, his close friend Justin Forsyth resigned as chief executive amid claims by female staff that Mr Cox had been ‘let off’.
Mr Forsyth denied the claims but was forced to step down as deputy director of Unicef in New York last week after it was revealed there had been three complaints of ‘inappropriate behaviour’ against him by female employees when he ran Save The Children.
In a bid to salvage the charity’s battered reputation, Mr Watkins, who succeeded Mr Forsyth in 2016, last week announced a major review to boost protection of Save The Children staff. It came in direct response to this newspaper’s disclosures. But in an unexpected twist, the Charity Commission last night entered the dispute.
It said there could be a conflict of interest because at the time Mr Cox and Mr Forsyth left Save The Children, Mr Watkins was a trustee and had been involved in how the matter was handled at the time.
Observing that it was ‘unconventional’ for a charity trustee to switch to the role of chief executive, a Commission spokesman said: ‘We have sought urgent clarification on how the potential conflict of interest regarding the current chief executive is being managed.
‘If you were involved in certain matters as a trustee and are now reviewing them as chief executive, you cannot be in the position of marking your own homework.’
The spokesman said the Commission had been given assurances by Save The Children in 2015-16 that it had taken ‘urgent’ action to stop a repeat of the kind of alleged misconduct by Mr Cox and Mr Forsyth. ‘In the light of allegations that Save The Children has been less than transparent it is essential that this [the new review] is carried out to the highest standard.’
This newspaper has been given further details of the three complaints against Mr Forsyth.
A well-placed source said a female employee who worked closely with him received ‘highly inappropriate’ messages from such as ‘You look nice today’ or ‘You’ve got a lovely dress on’ or ‘Shall we go for coffee?’ The Mail on Sunday has decided to protect her anonymity.
This newspaper has been told that at least one of two other complaints against Mr Forsyth involved foreign trips he made as Save The Children boss.
Some female employees at the charity claim their pleas for protection from sex pests were ignored
‘You cannot mark your own homework’
by The Guardian newspaper. An article last week by an overseas aid expert, writing under the pseudonym Leslie Francis in the New Democracy publication, said Save The Children staff approached The Guardian in 2015 after the MoS revealed Mr Cox had left the charity under a cloud.
Ms Francis said ‘almost all of the complainants’ went to The Guardian to protest about Mr Cox and Mr Forsyth but the paper ‘sat on the story.’ Later she was told the newspaper’s ‘powers that be’ had decided not to run the story.
Ms Francis said: ‘When [Save The Children] staff started complaining about the bullying culture [at the charity] they were derided as moaners.’
She said the ‘power’ of Mr Cox and Mr Forsyth ‘came from how willing so many people were to participate in silence and in silencing: trustees, politicians, journalists, staff who kept quiet either out of fear of their careers or fear of hurting Save The Children’. A spokesman for Mr Forsyth said: ‘Our client has already stated publicly that he made some personal mistakes during his time at Save The Children and has recognised that on a few occasions he had unsuitable and thoughtless conversations with colleagues, which he now knows caused offence and hurt.
‘When this was brought to his attention on two separate occasions, he apologised unreservedly to the three colleagues involved.’ Save The Children said: ‘Mr Watkins has recused himself from the review recently announced to avoid any perceived conflict of interest. The Charity Commission is aware of this. The appointment of Kevin Watkins as chief executive was dealt with in accordance with Charity Commission guidelines.’
The Guardian declined to comment yesterday.