The head of Fiji's Women's Crisis Centre says the allegations of sexual misconduct are a sign that all organisations should be open to scrutiny.

The investigation follows complaints laid by three female employees against two senior male staff.

The complaints allege the events happened in the UN Suva office.

The Crisis Centre's Shamima Ali says the UN has suspended the accused men and asked them to leave Fiji.

She says the police are not yet involved but she wants the courts to hear the claims.

She says she doesn't want them swept under the carpet.

"I think it's quite disgusting and it should be of concern to all of us. And you know the good thing about it is at least it has come out and there has been some ownership of it. But I think the fact that it happened within organisations that are out here to help the vulnerable, it is a lot more shocking," she says.

Shamima Ali says she encourages Fijian women to speak out against workplace harassment. She says they should be part of the global trend to expose unsafe working environments.

UN confirms investigation

The UN's WFP says the investigation is an internal one for now.

Furthermore, it says it's in its early stages.

It confirms that it has removed relevant staff members from their duties while the investigation continues.

It says it's keeping local authorities informed of its progress.

The WFP says it strengthened its policies this year in an attempt to end abusive conduct.

It also wants to correct under-reporting of such events to ensure dignified and respectful treatment of all employees.

The UN's WFP works in more than 80 countries around the world.

Source:

• RNZ Pacific
• United Nations World Food Programme
• Image: UN Women

Four men are on trial at York Crown Court accused of religiously aggravated assaults.

All four deny the charges and three claimed the incidents were part of general workplace banter.

The mock crucifixion was one of several incidents of alleged bullying the teen said he suffered.

The young man, now aged 19, testified in court by video link.

The alleged mock crucifixion incident - which was said to have been filmed by co-workers - involved the teen being tied to a wooden cross and suspended three feet in the air.

This allegedly happened after he refused to hand over his phone.

"At the time I didn't know what to feel. I felt ashamed, everyone could see what was happening to me. I was embarrassed," he told the court.

"Afterwards I was thinking they were trying to take the Mickey out of my religion. Otherwise why was there a cross made?"

The victim, who is a churchgoer, told the court that the abuse had started not long after he joined the firm in July, 2014.

Other alleged incidents included one of the accused spraying deodorant towards the teen's head and lighting it while the teen was asleep in bed.

There was another alleged occasion which involved tying the teenager to a chair and pulling him off the ground by his underpants - leaving him with cuts and bruises to his buttocks.

In another alleged incident, the teenager was pelted with eggs and flour by three of his co-workers while he was in the shower.

One month later, while the workers were staying in Essex, one of the men allegedly struck again while the teen was sleeping.

This time, the teen was left with crosses, phallic symbols and other marks drawn on his body.

The teenager was too ashamed to report the incidents and feared he would be sacked.

The trial started on Monday.

Sources

• Daily Mail
• Daily Mirror
• BBC
• Image: Hookedoneverything.com