In light of the 12 April 2013 press release by the International Criminal Court (“the Court”) that it has opened a formal internal inquiry into the allegations that some individuals under the Court’s witness protection programme may have been subject to sexual abuse by a former staff member, the President of the Assembly of States Parties, Ambassador Tiina Intelmann, stated that she was deeply disturbed about such allegations and thus noted the opening of the internal inquiry, as well as the different actions and measures taken by the Court so far.
Speaking from Washington D.C. President Intelmann stated “On behalf of the 122 members of the Assembly, the governing body with management oversight responsibilities over the Court, I wish to highlight that States Parties are extremely concerned that Court staff may have been involved in such abominable acts. In order to ascertain the facts and establish the requisite responsibilities, States Parties expect the Court to undertake, in an expeditious manner, a robust investigation with an appropriate level of transparency, in accordance with the relevant normative framework. My office has been in regular contact with the most senior officials of the Court, who have stressed that the Court has a zero tolerance policy towards any form of sexual abuses and who have assured me that the allegations have thus been handled with the utmost rigor and in a manner fully consistent with the provisions of the Rome Statute system. The Bureau, a 21 member body which assists the Assembly in the discharge of its functions, awaits information from the Court on the inquiry it has announced and will remain actively seized of the matter, as well as consider possible future steps, as appropriate.”