UN ‘deeply disturbed’ by video of couple having sex in official vehicle
The United Nations is “shocked and deeply disturbed” by footage of a couple apparently having sex in one of its official cars in Israel, according to a report Friday.
The scandalous viral video, shot in Tel Aviv, shows a woman in a red dress straddling a man in the back seat of a white SUV with UN markings, according to the BBC.
The people caught on camera are believed to be staff members of a peacekeeping organization in Israel, UN officials told the outlet.
“We are shocked and deeply disturbed by what is seen on this video,” said Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesman for the UN’s Secretary-General. “[It] goes against everything we stand for and having been working to achieve in terms of fighting misconduct by UN staff.”
Dujarric called the behavior “abhorrent” and said an investigation into the matter was “moving very quickly.”
“We expect the process to be concluded very quickly and intend to promptly take the appropriate action,” Dujarric said.
I present to you…..the UN pic.twitter.com/7bqw2fzVZa
— Mattea Merta 🇨🇦 (@MatteaMerta) June 25, 2020
The UN has strict policies against sexual misconduct by its staff members, and workers may be disciplined — or possibly banned from peacekeeping operations — if they are found to be in breach of the rules, according to the BBC.
The UN has long been plagued by allegations of sexual misconduct by its peacekeepers and other staff with frequent allegations in recent years.
In 2019, there were a total of 175 allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse against UN staff members, according to the BBC. Of those allegations, 16 were substantiated, 15 were unsubstantiated and the others are still being investigated.