Police must go after Oxfam workers accused of sex with underage prostitutes, ex-Cabinet minister says
The aid workers were sacked or allowed to resign despite the allegations against them
FORMER AID Secretary Priti Patel last night demanded police prosecute seven Oxfam aid workers facing staggering sex scandal allegations in a blistering attack on the “woeful” charity.
The ex-Cabinet minister said it was disgraceful Oxfam had allowed three workers to resign and had merely sacked four others for gross misconduct over explosive allegations of sex abuse and bullying in earthquake-torn Haiti.
And she said the charity had to pass their details to the police to see if there was a case for criminal charges.
The blistering attack came as Ms Patel told The Sun a wider investigation into sex abuse by charity and aid workers was vital.
The Tory veteran said: “There is growing evidence that child sex abuse is happening in aid so why are we not prosecuting?
“We have sex tourism laws that apply overseas and those laws should be applied. As for Oxfam their actions were and are woeful.
Their hypocrisy on aid has once again been exposed.”
Before being axed by Theresa May last November, Ms Patel slammed the UN for failing to tackle exploitation by its peacekeeping troops and aid workers overseas.
Delivering a speech at the UN in September, she said: “Appallingly we have actually seen child rape, sexual exploitation and abuse carried out under the UN flag – and not just by peacekeepers or in peace operations.”
At the time, the UN admitted to 145 incidents of sexual exploitation and abuse involving troops and civilians across UN peace missions involving 311 victims.
Astonishing revelations in The Times today revealed Oxfam covered up the use of prostitutes by senior aid workers in earthquake-torn Haiti.
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The charity – which receives £300million a year in government grants and public donations – allowed three men to resign and sacked four for gross misconduct after an inquiry into sexual exploitation, the downloading of porn, bullying and intimidation.
Oxfam was part of a massive international relief effort in the island after an earthquake in 2010 which claimed the lives of 220,000 people. Sources claimed some of the prostitutes were under age and wore Oxfam t-shirts at “Caligula” style orgies.
None of the incidents were reported to the Haitian authorities. None of those accused has been arrested or faced any criminal charges.