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BBC charity sacks six foreigners for sexual misconduct
The charity added that it would continue to examine policies and processes around safeguarding and whistleblowing “and take action to strengthen them further wherever necessary”.
BBC Media Action, a charity organisation that works several countries, including India, on Wednesday announced that it had sacked six foreign nationals for sexual harassment or watching pornography on official work computers.
It said the incidents leading to the six dismissals happened outside the United Kingdom over the last 10 years. It has received £70 million over the past five years from the British department for international development, which said it was not aware of the incidents.
A statement from BBC Media Action said: “We have reviewed all cases in the last 10 years involving or potentially involving sexual misconduct. Six such cases have been identified over this period, all of which were investigated.”
“In two of these, no grounds were found to take any disciplinary action. In the remaining four, formal disciplinary action was taken. None involved beneficiaries and we are not aware of any child protection issues. A total of six people were dismissed for sexual harassment or for watching pornography on work computers.”
Revealing the incidents and actions soon after the recent Oxfam scandal, the charity added that it would continue to examine policies and processes around safeguarding and whistleblowing “and take action to strengthen them further wherever necessary”.
“We want to foster a culture where everyone working at BBC Media Action can recognise abuse, knows what they can do to help prevent it, and where anyone with an allegation is heard,” it added.
Previously the BBC World Service Trust, the organisation was renamed BBC Media Action in 2011, and aims to use the power of media and communication to help reduce poverty and support people across the world in understanding their rights.
