NY police charge U.N. official with sexual abuse

By Atossa Araxia Abrahamian 
June 13, 2012
Chicago Tribune 
– HYPERLINK http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-rt-us-un-arrestbre85c1iy-20120613,0,6782432.story \t _blank http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-rt-us-un-arrestbre85c1iy-20120613,0,6782432.story

NEW YORK (Reuters) - A mid-ranking U.N. official has been charged with sexual abuse, the – HYPERLINK http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/crime-law-justice/police/new-york-city-police-department-ORGOV0000107.topic \o New York City Police Department \t _blank New York City Police Department said on Wednesday, nine months after a former U.N. contractor accused the official of abusing her.

Dushyant Joshi, who works at the U.N. human resources department's emergency preparedness and support team, was arrested on Tuesday, a police official said. Neither Joshi nor the http://www.chicagotribune.com/topic/crime-law-justice/international-law/united-nations-ORCUL000009.topic \o United Nations \t _blank United Nations responded immediately to requests for comment.

Joshi has been charged with third-degree sexual abuse, the police said. According to the New York State Penal Code, the maximum penalty for third-degree sexual abuse is three months in prison.

Joshi's arrest comes nine months after a female former U.N. contractor filed a complaint against him through the United Nations' internal justice system, and eight months after she said she filed a complaint with the police.

Reuters has obtained a copy of the complaint made to the United Nations, which accuse Joshi of forcefully kissing and touching the employee at a bar near U.N. headquarters in Manhattan on June 3, 2011.

On June 5, Catherine Pollard, the assistant secretary-general for human resources at the U.N., informed the woman, whose contract ended in December, in writing that Joshi would be subject to disciplinary action.

Reuters has obtained a copy of Pollard's letter, which said that Joshi denied the allegations of sexual abuse.

Joshi's arraignment has not yet been scheduled, the Manhattan court clerk's office said.