Oxfam chief executive Mark Goldring 'deeply ashamed' by Haiti prostitute claims

‘Everybody, the 250,000 staff and volunteers, is compromised by this’

Oxfam’s chief executive said he was “deeply ashamed” by allegations its aid workers paid for prostitutes in earthquake-torn Haiti.

Mark Goldring admitted anyone involved with the charity will be “compromised” by claims staff regularly used prostitutes while providing disaster relief in the aftermath of the Caribbean country’s 2010 earthquake.

Four workers were dismissed and a further three were allowed to resign from the organisation following an internal investigation into the allegations in 2011.

“I am deeply ashamed about Oxfam’s behaviour then,” Mr Goldring told ITV News. “Everybody, the 250,000 staff and volunteers, is compromised by this.

“The hundreds of thousands of people who support Oxfam every month are compromised by this and to everybody I do apologise.”

A whistleblower alleged to The Times that workers for the 76-year-old charity had organised “sex parties” at the residence rented for them by the charity.

Oxfam’s subsequent investigation into the situation, noted a “culture of impunity” which meant other staff members did not feel they could speak up about inappropriate behaviour.

The charity has been accused of attempting to cover up the scandal after it did not disclose at the time disciplinary action against staff was related to sexual misconduct.

It has also emerged Oxfam’s country director for Haiti, Roland van Hauwermeiren, was allowed to tender his resignation after he admitted using prostitutes during his time in there in 2011.

International Development Secretary Penny Mordaunt has threatened to cut funding to charities like Oxfam that receive taxpayer funding if they fail to report safeguarding concerns to relevant authorities.

Mr Goldring, who joined Oxfam in 2013 after five years as chief executive of Mencap, denied a cover-up had taken place.

However, he did concede the charity should have been clear about allegations related to sexual misconduct at the time they surfaced.

“Oxfam had no formal obligation to tell anybody anything”, Mr Goldring added: “This was not a public story it was an internal investigation. Oxfam chose to go to the public and say ‘we have got this wrong and we are trying to get this right’.

“I think we should have been open that there was sexual misconduct and that involved the use of prostitutes.”