U.N. official resigns after claims she ignored child abuse

UNITED NATIONS, July 23 (UPI) -- United Nations human rights official Flavia Pansieri resigned after admitting she ignored allegations of child sexual abuse in the Central African Republic by French soldiers.

Pansieri, the Deputy High Commissioner for Human Rights, a U.N. agency based in Geneva, Switzerland, was informed of testimony in August 2014 alleging several boys, ages 9 to 15, were sexually abused by French soldiers who patrolled Bangui, Central African Republic, in a peacekeeping mission.

The allegations include claims the children traded oral sex and sodomy for food. Although the report was leaked to the French media, Pansieri took no action until March 2015, claiming she assumed French authorities were investigating.

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon ordered an investigation into how the case was handled within the United Nations.

A separate U.N. report said it had received 480 allegations of sexual exploitation and abuse involving its peacekeeping and political missions between 2008 and 2013.

Pansieri, 63, worked for the U.N. Development Program before retiring, then came out of retirement to serve as deputy commissioner. "She has recently faced a series of health issues," said commission spokesman Andre-Michel Essoungou.

A U.N. announcement Thursday said Pansieri resigned for health reasons.