Behaviour of Oxfam workers was ‘horrific’ says PM
THE PRIME Minister has described the behaviour of staff at scandal-hit Oxfam as “horrific” and demanded that charities reveal their safeguarding arrangements to the Government.
Oxfam’s 2011 investigation into the Haiti sex scandal concluded charities should be warned about “problem staff ” - only for several accused of abuse to successfully take up future posts in the aid sector.
The charity made the recommendations at the end of a report which detailed four dismissals and three resignations over allegations ranging from the use of prostitutes on charity property to sexual exploitation of employees.
Suspicions that under age sex workers had been exploited “cannot be ruled out”, according to the document.
Theresa May was asked about the Oxfam scandal during a visit to a school in west London yesterday morning.
She said: “Well, first of all in relation to the Oxfam issue, the behaviour that we’ve now discovered was horrific.
“It was far below the standards that we expect for the charities and the NGOs that we’re working with.
“And I understand there have been further revelations today which show that actually there was physical intimidation of witnesses.
“This is absolutely horrific. This is exactly the problem that we see which means that all too often people don’t feel able to come forward to report what has happened to them, the behaviour that they’ve been on the receiving end of.”
Referring to Brendan Cox, the widower of murdered Batley and Spen MP Jo Cox, Mrs May said he has recognised “his behaviour made women feel uncomfortable”.
Mrs May added: “I think what is important from a government point of view in dealing with these charities is we are demanding that these charities come forward in very short order and show us what their safeguarding, their protection arrangements are. We will not work with anybody who does not meet the high standards that we set and we believe are important.”
On Sunday evening, Oxfam repeatedly refused to clarify whether it had contacted any of the women allegedly preyed upon, either during or since the investigation.
It has instead vowed to meet with the Haitian government more than six years on to apologise for “mistakes” and discuss how to make amends, including to the women affected.