Hope for Justice is proud to be the first non-profit organisation in the world to implement safeguarding checks under INTERPOL’s Project Soteria as part of our recruitment processes, to deter and identify perpetrators of sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment.
David Caunter, Director of Organized and Emerging Crime at INTERPOL, with Hope for Justice Chief Operating Officer, Elaine Jones
Neil Wain (pictured below), Senior Security & Safeguarding Advisor at Hope for Justice, and formerly Assistant Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, said: “As an organisation that actively supports survivors of abuse and exploitation who have been subjected to modern slavery and human trafficking, Hope for Justice is well aware of the ways that perpetrators seek to gain access to victims by positioning themselves in humanitarian or aid sector roles.
“By conducting employment checks against Project Soteria’s secure platform, we are strengthening our existing safeguarding measures and improving our response to sexual exploitation, abuse and harassment. This reflects our zero-tolerance approach to these issues and our commitment to taking practical action.”
Elaine Jones and Neil Wain at INTERPOL headquarters this week
Neil Wain joined Elaine Jones, Chief Operating Officer at Hope for Justice, on a visit this week to INTERPOL headquarters in Lyon, France, to mark progress on our operational cooperation.
As humanitarian and development organisations increasingly operate across borders, recruitment processes can present opportunities for offenders to move between roles and countries without detection.
At Hope for Justice’s Lighthouse shelter in Uganda, a sign reads: ‘Safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility’
Project Soteria was established to address this gap by strengthening information exchange between the aid sector and law enforcement, while ensuring that all checks are conducted in accordance with international data protection and human rights standards.
Following a 2024 cooperation agreement between INTERPOL and Hope for Justice, the first pilot checks were conducted in May 2025, allowing us to upload selected candidates’ information through a secure platform that is checked by INTERPOL criminal intelligence analysts against its databases and member country networks.
David Caunter, Director of Organized and Emerging Crime at INTERPOL, said: “This milestone demonstrates how strong partnerships between law enforcement and the aid sector can close the gaps that offenders seek to exploit. By working together through Project Soteria, we are strengthening prevention, supporting safer recruitment practices, and helping ensure that those who work with vulnerable communities meet the highest standards of integrity.”
Project Soteria, implemented by INTERPOL with funding from the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), supports organisations in strengthening safeguarding measures while also enhancing law enforcement capacity to investigate sexual exploitation, abuse and gender-based violence across borders.
INTERPOL and Hope for Justice discuss the safeguarding benefits of Project Soteria
Elaine Jones, Chief Operating Officer at Hope for Justice, said: “We are determined to protect vulnerable people, including adult survivors of human trafficking as well as the children at our safe shelters, which we call Lighthouses. Many of these children have already lived through exploitation or abuse. When they come to us, they deserve safety. They deserve care. And they deserve absolute certainty that they are protected from further harm. That is why safe recruitment is not just an administrative process for us: it is a safeguarding responsibility. We are proud to partner with INTERPOL to add this powerful new layer of protection.”
