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
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.
Comments on Code Blue’s statement.
“Code Blue has done some magnificent work over the years in raising the awareness of the abuses undertaken by UN peacekeeping soldiers. Whilst we clearly take some exception to their recent comments, we believe that protection of vulnerable women, children, boys and girls is so important that there is room in the discussion for many Read more about Comments on Code Blue’s statement.[…]
When it comes to child sex abuse in aid work, the Oxfam revelations are just the tip of the iceberg
As disgusting as it might seem, as authorities crack down on paedophilia in the developed world, predatory paedophiles are now going to the developing world to gain access to children. One of their preferred methods is to join a children’s charity
THE UN HAS FINALLY ADMITTED SEXUAL EXPLOITATION IS A PROBLEM WITHIN ITS OWN RANKS. WHAT ARE THEY DOING ABOUT IT?
Earlier this year the United Nations Secretary General admitted that in 2016 there were 145 incidents involving 311 victims, mainly in peace operations. We now know that this is just the tip of the iceberg.
THE UNITED NATIONS IS STILL TURNING A BLIND EYE TO CHILD RAPE WITHIN ITS OWN RANKS
A quick scan of UN sexual abuse’ through Google reveals the extraordinary length of time Kofi Anan, Ban Ki Moon and now Antonio Guterres have been saying ‘something must be done.’ And yet no action has ever been taken.
THE UN HAS A PROBLEM: IT’S NOT JUST GENDER VIOLENCE, IT’S CHILD RAPE
If a United Nations official in New York raped an American child, there would be hell to pay. Similarly, if a UN official in Geneva raped a Swiss child, there would be an outcry. So why is it when a UN official or peacekeeper rapes an African child, the UN ignores it?