Top Indian-origin UN Women staffer sexually abused juniors, manipulated them
A UN official placed high up in the gender equality department was accused in 2017 of sexually abusing several juniors. Fourteen months later, an internal investigation still continues, the UN says, adding fuel to criticism that the organization has frequently silenced victims and allowed perpetrators to flourish. In this case, the abuse wasn't only sexual, but more about his desire of controlling the youngsters.
Eight men have leveled allegations against Karkara
Ravi Karkara, senior adviser to the former deputy executive director of UN Women, Lakshmi Puri, has been accused of sexual harassment by at least eight men, The Guardian reports. Accusations range from him sending them pornography, asking them to masturbate, or asking sexual questions. Kerry Gibson, president of a US-based engineering company working with UN Women, said there was "grooming, day-to-day innuendo, it was positively disgusting."
One victim has come forward with detailed allegations
One victim who has identified himself is 25-year-old Steve Lee, who met Karkara when he was 16, a delegate for UNICEF. They soon started working together on different projects, and Karkara started showing his true colors, he said. He would taunt Lee over his Christian beliefs and talk about sex whenever alone. In December'16, when they were alone in a hotel room, he grabbed his genitals through his pants.
He would check their phones, demand credit, rebuke for 'ingratitude'
The abuse wasn't only sexual, Lee and others have said. For Karkara, it was more about his control over them and their helplessness. Victims said he would minutely follow their social media accounts, demand gratitude, and rebuke them if he wasn't invited to some event. He would often login to their accounts and check their emails and internet search history. Lee said he started deleting his logs before meeting Karkara.
Despite pending investigation, Karkara spoke at the Youth Assembly
Gibson, who wrote to the executive director of UN Women to complain, said Karkara was later caught trying to delete those emails. Lee finally lodged a complaint in July'17. Despite that, Karkara addressed a Youth Assembly event at the UN headquarters on August 12, 2017. The UN Women said in December that a "staff member" accused of harassment had been sent on leave with full pay pending investigation.
Several employees allege sexual assault, retaliation if they complain
There have been long-time accusations about a pervasive culture in the UN which shields perpetrators, especially those in top positions. Fifteen employees have told The Guardian they were sexually assaulted in the last five years. Three claimed they had been thrown out of work or threatened to be thrown out when they lodged complaints. The accused remain in their positions.
Internal investigation leaves much to be desired
There have been complaints about the investigation process too, led by the office of internal oversight services (OIOS). In one case, despite medical evidence and witness testimonies, the probe found evidence "insufficient." Often, the accused are in a position to manipulate investigations. Transcripts frequently contain errors, key witnesses are often ignored, and details of confidential inquiries leaked. One victim said she received rape counseling six weeks after the crime.
