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UK committee says aid groups almost 'complicit' in sex abuse

A UK parliamentary committee says international aid organisations have failed to stop workers from sexually exploiting women and girls they are supposed to help because their approach has been "complacency verging on complicity".

Stephen Twigg, chairperson of the House of Commons' International Development Committee, says abuse remains "endemic" in the sector because aid groups have too often sought to protect the organisation's reputation rather than attack the problem in a transparent manner.

The panel is calling for improved screening of aid workers and an international register to prevent known predators from moving from one organisation to another.

The report follows revelations earlier this year that seven Oxfam workers were fired or resigned after a whistleblower accused staff members of misconduct while working in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake.


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