The World Bank has been accused of failing to address and prevent the sexual abuse cases in the Kenyan branch of the Bridge International Academies, financed by the bank's International Financing Corporation (IFC), despite being aware of the abuse allegations, media reported, citing the report of the bank's internal watchdog Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO).
About 21 cases of child sexual abuse by teachers at the Bridge schools were found by the CAO between 2014-2021, the outlet noted.
Around 10 cases were reported in one of the Bridge schools in 2016, Bridge reportedly confirmed. According to the education company, it had taken measures in response to the violations, including firing the accused teachers, handing over the reports on the cases to the police, providing the victims with psychosocial support, and engaging with the children’s parents and communities over the incidents, the media said.
"[The IFC had] turned a blind eye to these risks, even when incidents of child sexual abuse were reported," executive director of Inclusive Development International, an organization that advocates for communities harmed by investment projects, David Pred was quoted by the outlet as saying.
In the November 26 letter, around 32 civil society organizations called for an independent inquiry into the IFC's handling of the Bridge case, the media said.
In response to the letter, the IFC’s managing director, Makhtar Diop, said that the bank is "deeply disturbed" by the reports of child sexual abuse at one of its projects.
"We do not tolerate any form of abuse in the projects we finance, and we are deeply grateful to the courageous survivors who came forward. We are currently reviewing the [CAO] report and are committed to addressing the findings diligently and transparently," Diop highlighted.
However, rights groups underlined the bank's unwillingness to compensate victims, adding that it was left to the Bridge, according to the report.
"The IFC continues to [push] risk on to communities instead of taking responsibility itself. If its response [to Bridge] is any indication of what to expect from the IFC’s overall posture toward remedy, then we should be seriously worried," policy director of rights organization Accountability Counsel, Margaux Day was cited by the media as saying.
The abuse cases were revealed following the EACHRights complaint on the human rights violations in the Bridge schools, submitted to CAO in 2018.