Monrovia – SOS Children’s Villages confirmed on Friday that a sex abuse case happened involving a senior management in Liberia, after local media implicated the International development group’s country director in the alleged rape of a 16-year-old girl.
“SOS Children’s Villages confirms that a sexual abuse case happened in its programme in Liberia involving senior management,” the Austria-based organisation said in a statement.
“We deeply regret that we were not able to protect the victim. We are determined to hold accountable those who are responsible for the abuse, regardless of their position in the organization,” the statement added.
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The NGO stressed that it had immediately contacted the police when the abuse came to light in November 2021.
It added that the alleged perpetrator was suspended last month and that three other staff members “allegedly involved in the case” have also been suspended, without giving names.
The young victim is back with their biological family, SOS Children’s Villages said.
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SOS Children’s Villages was set up to help orphans and children in need.
Last year the organisation announced that it was investigating cases of violence, particularly sexual violence, and fraud committed from the 1990s onwards in around 20 of its operations in Africa and Asia.
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Source: AFP
Picture: Unsplash
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