Need a follow up here - International Planned Par
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Allegedly Hired Prostitutes for Staff, Donors, Guests at Official Functions
International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) allegedly hired prostitutes for staff, donors, and guests at official functions, states a report by the Daily Mail that has received little attention by most media.
The explosive story has been developing since January as the U.K.’s Department for International Development has been embroiled in controversy over a donation of £132 million in aid to IPPF, despite an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct and corruption at the abortion industry giant.
According to the Mail, Lucien Kouakou, a former IPPF regional director in Africa who had been fired over allegations of sexual misconduct, accused IPPF in an internal email sent to the organization’s London headquarters, of regularly providing “sexual gifts” to guests at official African events over a period of years.
Kouakou specifically accused Alvaro Bermejo, IPPF director general, of telling him that under a previous regime, “there was promoting of prostitution within the organisation, where prostitutes would be organised for IPPF staff, donors and partners during functions.”
The former IPPF regional director reportedly added in his email that “youth volunteers” were “given to … adult volunteers in sex relations.”
Kouakou repeated his accusations about what he said Bermejo told him in court documents filed in Kenya in February, stated the news report.
Breitbart News reached out to IPPF for comment. A spokesperson for the organization said the “specific allegations” in the Daily Mail story “are identical to and originate from court papers filed in Kenya in February by Lucien Kouakou in his attempt to stop a disciplinary process involving him, any dismissal and claim damages for alleged defamation.”
“Mr Kouakou’s interim application to stop his disciplinary hearing was dismissed by the court and costs awarded against him,” the IPPF spokesperson said. “Mr Kouakou was subsequently dismissed by IPPF after a full and fair disciplinary process.”
However, the Mail reported an IPPF spokesperson also said that, among members of the IPPF governing council, “there is strong agreement that reform is vital.”
“IPPF has kept all stakeholders aware of the issues it faces and welcomes their views and their involvement,” the spokesperson reportedly said.
The wide scope of the scandal and the firestorm it created led Bermejo to first resign his position, and then to rescind his resignation with the intention to reform the organization. Additionally, the scandal has led all 45 IPPF member associations in the Western Hemisphere, including the United States, Canada, Brazil, and Argentina, to break with the London-based IPPF.
The Daily Mail reported:
“They decided there are issues of accountability and transparency between head office and regional offices, although they did not specifically cite Africa,” said one source in a breakaway association who was aware of the sex abuse allegations.
A letter signed by more than 200 administrative staff at the charity [IPPF] said they could not achieve their goals due to “inadequate implementation of our safeguarding policies” and “devastating financial deficit.”
“IPPF is in a major crisis,” claim the staff based in Bermondsey, South London, and several other regional offices. “We are on the brink of losing everything we have worked for over the past 65 years.”
In September, Bermejo penned a welcome letter to Dr. Leana Wen, new president of Planned Parenthood Federation of America.
“This exciting appointment comes at a critical time for Planned Parenthood,” Bermejo wrote. “Not only will Dr. Wen help Planned Parenthood continue to provide high-quality care to the people who need it across the United States, she will be a powerful voice in our fight to ensure women have the ability to make their own healthcare decisions.”
In the United States, Planned Parenthood is the nation’s largest abortion provider, receiving $563.8 million in federal taxpayer funding, according to its latest annual report. Nevertheless, the abortion giant has been accused of multiple scandals, including Medicaid fraud, allegations of child sex abuse cover-up, and profiting from the harvest and sale of body parts of babies aborted in its clinics.