At least 48 aid workers have been terminated, suspended, or referred to the police
Aid organisations in Australia are apologising to sexual abuse and harassment victims after an investigation substantiated 31 claims involving aid workers. The incidents ranged from abuse against members of the local community to harassment against fellow staff members.
At least 48 aid workers have been terminated, suspended, or referred to the police, according to a report from the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID).
As an umbrella organisation in the non-profit sector, the ACFID said it is now moving to “shed light on” and rectify its “failings”.
“We would like to acknowledge and apologise to the victims/survivors of sexual misconduct who have been harmed – both those we work alongside and those we exist to protect and support,” the ACFID said in a statement.
The council commissioned the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine (VIFM) to lead the probe, which found evidence for 17 cases of sexual harassment, six cases of sexual abuse, and eight cases of sexual misconduct occurring in the past three years.
However, the VIFM could only review cases that were voluntarily reported by 20 member groups. At present, 66 aid organisations have found no record of any untoward incident among their workers, while 33 groups have yet to respond.
“This sector is built on trying to assist people that are living in poverty and suffering injustice,” said Marc Purcell, chief executive of the ACFID, in a report on ABC News.
“I think the only way we can stop sexual harassment in the workplace in Australia, or sexual misconduct in any sort of Australian charity program overseas, is by shining a light on it,” he said.
