Oxfam aid workers’ ‘Caligula-style orgy’ with prostitutes after earthquake
OXFAM aid workers sent to Haiti after an earthquake that killed more than 200,000 people allegedly cavorted with prostitutes at a sex party likened to a ‘caligula orgy’.
A source said footage showed senior aid workers from an international disaster relief effort partying with the girls, who wore Oxfam T-shirts.
The claims were made after it emerged the charity covered up use of prostitutes, some of whom may have been children, by staff including Roland van Hauwermeiren, its director in the caribbean state in 2010.
An internal investigation was carried out at the time into claims of sexual exploitation, downloading of pornography, bullying and intimidation.
Three men including Mr van Hauwermeiren were allowed to resign, while four others were sacked for gross misconduct.
But details of the scandal have only emerged after a confidential internal report of the investigation was leaked.
It said some staff had operated in a ‘culture of impunity’, and that those who were sexually exploited by aid workers may have included child survivors of the earthquake, adding: ‘It cannot be ruled out that any of the prostitutes were under-aged.’
Oxfam, which receives £300million a year from public donations and government grants, said yesterday it had been ‘deeply distressed by what happened’ but offered no explanation for why details of the scandal had not been made public before.
The report also revealed Mr van Hauwermeiren, a 68-year-old Belgian, was allowed ‘a phased and dignified exit’ by the then chief executive, Dame Barbara Stocking.
Sacking him would have had ‘potentially serious implications’ for the charity’s work and reputation, it added.
Dame Barbara, 66, who left Oxfam in 2013 to become president of cambridge University’s Murray edwards college, was unavailable for comment at her £2million grace-and-favour home yesterday.
The only information to be made public in 2011 was that the inquiry related to ‘staff misconduct not connected to any incidents of fraud’.
At the time, the explanation given for Mr van Hauwermeiren’s departure was that he felt he should take ‘managerial responsibility’ because the alleged misconduct ‘ occurred while he was heading the programme’ in Haiti.
But, according to the leaked document, Mr Van Hauwermeiren had admitted using prostitutes at the villa rented for him by Oxfam with charitable funds.
news reports in 2011 said none of the staff who resigned or were sacked were British nationals.
Oxfam was among aid agencies sent to the country to help 300,000 people who were injured and 1.5million made homeless.
A source with knowledge of the internal report gave details of the sex parties, which he said were like a ‘full- on caligula orgy’. He claimed they took place at the aid workers’ guest house, and there were fears that some of the prostitutes were under age. It is understood there is no record of footage from the sex parties being given to Oxfam’s investigation team.
Prostitution is illegal in Haiti, where the age of consent is 18, and breaches Oxfam’s staff code of conduct and United nations rules on the behaviour of aid workers.
The charity did not report the claims to the Haitian authorities because ‘it was extremely unlikely any action would be taken’. none of those accused was arrested or faced criminal charges.
Oxfam said the charity commission was informed of the misconduct. But the regulator said it did not receive the final investigation report and was not aware of ‘precise allegations’ or ‘potential sex crimes involving minors’.
In a statement after The Times reported the story yesterday, Oxfam said: ‘This behaviour was totally unacceptable, contrary to our values and the high standards we expect of our staff.
‘Our primary aim was always to root out and take action against those involved and we publicly announced, including to media, both the investigation and the action we took as a result.
‘The misconduct findings related to offences including bullying, harassment, intimidation and failure to protect staff as well as sexual misconduct. Allegations that underage girls may have been involved were not proven.’ Oxfam said that after the case, it carried out a thorough review that led to changes including a ‘whistleblowing hotline’ for staff.
It added: ‘We know that, like us, our supporters will be distressed by what happened. We hope that they will be reassured by the steps we have taken.’
The charity commission said: ‘The public expects charities to be safe, trusted environments that safeguard those who come in contact with them. Allegations such as those involving Oxfam staff risk undermining public trust.’
There have been claims of widespread sexual abuse by aid agencies, including 2,000 cases involving the Un in the past 12 years.
Mary Wakefield, an author and commissioning editor of The Spectator magazine, said she saw an officer leave a marked Un vehicle and lead a young girl off in Liberia in 2008. She added: ‘Under the cover of moral superiority, out of sight and out of the media, all manner of nGOs, charities, and the saintly Un have committed some of the most disgusting crimes against the world’s most vulnerable women and children, and got away scot free.’
Downing Street said the Oxfam allegations were ‘truly shocking’, and urged it to give all its evidence to the charity commission.
‘Undermining public trust’