NEW DELHI: The UN Office of Internal Oversight Services’ Draft Report on sexual exploitation and abuses has revealed that at least three allegations against Indian personnel on peacekeeping mission in troubled spots have been substantiated
Although the evaluation report did not name the personnel and disclose the nature of the charges against them, it noted an increase in sexual exploitation cases in at least four missions in troubled countries.
India is one of the largest contributors of troops to the United Nations at present, with total deployment of 8,102 personnel, including 59 military experts.
The Report said that 480 instances of sexual exploitation and abuse were reported between 2008 and 2013 with UN Stabilisation Missions in Haiti and Democratic Republic of the Congo and UN Missions in Liberia, Sudan and South Sudan accounting for the largest numbers of allegations.
Maximum number of substantiated allegations were against South African forces (nine) followed by Uruguay (eight), Nigeria (seven) and Pakistan (four).
The report also noted the apathy of member countries in investigating the crime with only a few Troop Contributing Countries (TCC) complying with the 10-day deadline for the probe.
“Enforcement against Sexual Exploitation and Abuses (SEA) involves multiple actors with distributed responsibilities; processes are lengthy, delays common, and confusion often apparent in implementation,” the Report noted.
It, further, said that documentation from 2011 to 2014 showed that 39 per cent of those member states, which were requested to conduct their own investigations, had complied with the 10-day deadline.
According to the Report, in Haiti, 231 individuals admitted to having transactional sexual relationships with peacekeepers for various reasons, including enabling the women and their families to continue schooling and improving their future prospects.
