Our Focus
Diplomacy
Working with governments, NGOs and UN agencies to implement best in class training, prevention, detection and prosecution of sex abusers working with aid organisations.
Awareness
Provide data and statistics to the general community, to raise awareness of the scale of the problem. Only when the general population is aware of the scale of the problem, will we get real change.
LEGAL ACTION
We support law firms that search out and find perpetrators of sex abuse. We work with them in civil and criminal actions to hold perpetrators to account and gain fair compensation for the victims of abuse.
Protecting Whistleblowers
We are lobbying governments and the UN for better Whistleblower protection and for the creation of a truly independent whistleblower protection organisation.
About
“First, sexual exploitation and abuse is not a problem of peacekeeping, it is a problem of the entire United Nations. Contrary to the information spreading that this is a question related to our peacekeeping operations, it is necessary to say that the majority of the cases of sexual exploitation and abuse are done by the civilian organizations of the United Nations, and not in peacekeeping operations.” 18 September 2017 Secretary-General's address to High-Level Meeting on the United Nations Response to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.
In 2016 Guterres recognised there were over 140 incidents of sexual abuse involving more than 300 victims in peace operations. We know therefore that most cases of United Nations Staff sexual abuse happen outside peace operations.
Guterres knows that many of the victims are children and that the above numbers are just the tip of the iceberg. This must stop.
Help us stop this abuse.
in 2016
in peace operations
the number of rapes reported to the UK
estimated per decade
Latest news
If Harvey Weinstein was an Aid Worker he would have gotten away with it. Sharing data on aid worker abuse is still not enough.
Press release – For Immediate Release – International child protection Charity, Hear Their Cries, still says too little is being done to stop sexual abuse in the aid industry, citing the UK Government’s minimalist approach. Today the UK’s Department for International Development called on more Aid Agencies to sign up to the voluntary scheme to Read more about If Harvey Weinstein was an Aid Worker he would have gotten away with it. Sharing data on aid worker abuse is still not enough.[…]
Charities still hiding sexual abuse – It’s time to prosecute trustees and CEOs.
Charities still hiding sexual abuse – It’s time to prosecute trustees and CEOs. London 16 October – for immediate release. The Charity Commission finds that charities still under- report sexual abuse – including child sexual abuse overseas – yet no one is going to jail. Why? Thursday this week sees the next Read more about Charities still hiding sexual abuse – It’s time to prosecute trustees and CEOs.[…]
Just how many victims of Aid Industry Sex Abuse are there?
For Background – Just how many victims of Aid Industry Sex Abuse are there? No matter if 6,000, 60,000 or 600,000 victims? Whatever the number, it is far too big. The UK Parliament’s International Development Committee has roundly condemned the aid industry for sexual abuse including child abuse in the developing world (the UK Read more about Just how many victims of Aid Industry Sex Abuse are there?[…]
UK Parliament Committee slams the abuse of children and women by UN and Aid workers.
Report welcomed as a good foundation to start, but perpetrators and enablers may still go free as ‘prosecution’ not yet a priority. The United Kingdom Parliament released a scathing report Wednesday (here) of the massive scale of sexual abuse by UN and Aid agencies, including Child Rape – yet failed to strengthen the law to Read more about UK Parliament Committee slams the abuse of children and women by UN and Aid workers.[…]
“I don’t know how many children I raped while working for the UN”
How bad do you think this problem really is? Just look at this headline and read the first couple of paragraphs.
60,000 victims an over or underestimate?
HearTheirCries.org has received a number of criticisms for estimating the true scale of the sexual abuse scandals in the aid industry. We estimate 60,000 victims of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse and Child Rape over the last decade. We have been accused of inflating the real figure. Yet not a single critique has pointed to a ‘better’ estimate. We, Read more about 60,000 victims an over or underestimate?[…]
Media Release: Leaked letter shows the UN still insists on investigating itself. No mention of police.
Aid Sex Abuse Crisis: Leaked letter shows the UN still insists on investigating itself, with no mention of child abusers being sent to police. More words “Zero Tolerance” but little real action. London March 9, 2018 – Immediate release A leaked letter from the United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, dated March 2nd, 2018 Read more about Media Release: Leaked letter shows the UN still insists on investigating itself. No mention of police.[…]
Media Release: Call for United Nations Goodwill Ambassadors to suspend – but not cancel – roles in light of sex abuse revelations.
Victims’ rights organization Hear Their Cries, calls upon actors to use Oscar Ceremony to extend #TimesUp to the United Nations and suspend – but not cancel – their goodwill ambassador roles until the UN meets sex abuse standards. London Friday March 2, 2018. Embargoed until midday GMT, March 2nd. Actors supporting #TimesUp and Read more about Media Release: Call for United Nations Goodwill Ambassadors to suspend – but not cancel – roles in light of sex abuse revelations.[…]
Media Release: Leaked Staff Survey shows less than half UN staff feel they can report misconduct without retaliation.
Calls continue for a new whistleblowing mechanism. London, 28 February, 2018 – embargoed until 16:30 on Thursday, March 1st. An internal survey shows the difficulty the UN Secretary-General has in stopping sexual abuse and child rape within the UN. According to a leaked UN report, approximately half of United Nations staff Read more about Media Release: Leaked Staff Survey shows less than half UN staff feel they can report misconduct without retaliation.[…]
Latest media
Our legal adviser, Professor Andrew MacLeod, on CNN raising the urgent need to prosecute perpetrators.