Charity Commission has confirmed it was made aware
Oxfam aid workers were taking part in “Caligula-style orgies” with prostitutes in the wake of the 2010 Haiti earthquake which devastated the island and left 220,000 dead.
The Times has uncovered evidence claiming a group of Oxfam workers had arranged sex parties at a villa rented by the charity.
Journalists say they have seen mobile footage from one of the parties described as a “full-on Caligula-style orgy.”
The aid charity is alleged to have covered up a report raised concerns that some of the prostitutes were underage, stating: “It cannot be ruled out that any of the prostitutes were underage.”
Paying for prostitutes is illegal in Haiti and goes against Oxfam’s code of conduct for international staff. However no prosecutions followed the investigation.
Oxfam did not report the scandal to authorities in Haiti because “it was extremely unlikely that any action would be taken” in light of the upheaval the country was facing, the paper reported.
The Charity Commission has confirmed it was made aware of the allegations.
Oxfam responded: “The behaviour of some members of Oxfam staff uncovered in Haiti in 2011 was totally unacceptable, contrary to our values and the high standards we expect of our staff. As soon as we became aware of the allegations we immediately launched an internal investigation.
“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.
“Four members of staff were dismissed as a result of the investigation and three, including the country director, resigned before the end of the investigation.
“Allegations that underage girls may have been involved were not proven. After the investigation, we carried out a thorough review of the case which resulted in the creation of our dedicated Safeguarding Team and a confidential whistleblowing hotline as part of a package of measures to ensure that we do all we can to protect our staff, prevent sexual abuse and misconduct happening in the first place and improve how we handle any allegations.”
