Haiti's ambassador to U.K. blasts Oxfam over handling of sex abuse allegations
Haiti's ambassador to the U.K., Bocchit Edmond, says that allegations of sexual misconduct by Oxfam aid workers in the country following the 2010 earthquake are "shocking."
The Times of London reported that Oxfam's country director for Haiti, Roland van Hauwermeiren, used prostitutes — some of whom may have been younger than 18 years old — at a home rented for him by Oxfam in the aftermath of the 2010 earthquake. Six other people were reportedly dismissed or allowed to resign quietly over the allegations.
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Penny Lawrence, Oxfam program director at the time, has now resigned for her handling of the allegations. She says she takes "full responsibility" for failing to act immediately and revealed that Oxfam investigated the allegations in 2011. The organization has denied that it tried to cover up the scandal.
As It Happens host Carol Off spoke with Edmond about the allegations of sexual misconduct by aid workers. Here is part of that conversation.
Ambassador Edmond, Oxfam's deputy chief executive has resigned. Is that enough to satisfy you that the organization is taking these allegations seriously?
We are not going to say it's satisfactory ... Oxfam certainly will be called by the Haitian authorities to share those reports and identify if those workers can face prosecution.
These are allegations after these aid workers from Oxfam were in your country, following the earthquake. On the one hand Oxfam's chief executive said they didn't report it to Haitian authorities when they found this out because they feared it would endanger the women who were involved, and then the other one said they didn't think police would take any action. What do you say to those responses?
Once again, it's really ridiculous. After the earthquake, even though there was some difficult situations, the state of Haiti did not stop to exist. The law enforcement officers were there. The judicial system was there.
It was not a lawless country. I just don't understand that argument. Because what is it — it is a culture within that organization to cover up crimes that was being continued.
The one name we do know, Roland van Hauermieren, was the Oxfam head of missions in Haiti. But the interesting development we've also heard is that the same man had been in Chad on a mission before that with similar allegations against them there. He was then moved to head the mission in Haiti. What do you make of that?
They knew the guy was in Chad. He committed some crimes in Chad already. How come Oxfam doesn't have that structure where strong background checks would have been done over this guy and to know this guy is a criminal?
'I think we need to set an example. This guy, wherever he is, he has to be prosecuted.'- Bocchit Edmond
We'll just mention that what you're saying, these are allegations not yet proven, but what do you want to see happen?
What I want to see happen is for Oxfam to have look into itself and to assess the situation.
And to be even tougher on the background checks. To know who is contracting because you want to go to help, but they have to stop going into the countries with the misconceptions of, "This is a poor country, those people are in need. We come to help. We have money, we have power. We can do anything."
But they always forget those people also have rights.
It's interesting it follows on the heels of the revelations that UN peacekeepers brought a cholera epidemic to Haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake, and now these allegations. How difficult will it be to restore Haiti's faith and trust in the international aid community?
It's going to be a very difficult job.
But rebuilding trust? I'm not going to say it's impossible. But it's going to be a difficult task because when those things are happening all the time and no example has been set.
And I believe this Oxfam case right now today is a wake up call. I think we need to set an example. This guy, wherever he is, he has to be prosecuted. And other countries saying that those are crimes and when it happens in Haiti it is not a crime? No, it is unacceptable.
If we don't set that example, it's an open door for other workers to continue to do that with impunity.
With files from Associated Press. This has been edited for length and clarity. For more, listen to our interview with Bocchit Edmond.