Refuge funds committee will wait and see

A group of students who fundraise for the Dunedin Women's Refuge say they are concerned about recent allegations of bullying, unsafe work practices and theft in the organisation.

A report on a special investigation surfaced this week highlighting what were described as several serious breaches of social sector accreditation standards.

The Te Whare Pounamu Women's Refuge Appeals Week fundraising committee was approached for comment yesterday about the allegations.

The University of Otago responded with a statement attributed to co-conveners Lucy Aitken and Annie Grimes.

''We are concerned by the allegations against the refuge,'' it said.

''However, we are waiting for results of the investigation by the Ministry of Social Development before we make a decision on how to proceed.

''At this point the facts remain unclear.''

Volunteers for the committee have raised thousands of dollars for the refuge over the past five years.

george.block@odt.co.nz