– Gangs use sexual violence to create fear, and alarmingly, the number of cases increases every day. This was said by acting head of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) Nada Al-Nashif when the new report was presented on Friday. Both women, girls and boys of all ages and, to a lesser extent, men, have been victims of reckless sexual offenses in Haiti, according to the report. Rival gangs are behind the rapes. Several of the survivors are said to have been raped in front of their own parents or children. Some of the victims were maimed or killed after the rape. A stream of trash runs through a neighborhood in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Two girls and a man are on their way across the river. Photo: RICARDO ARDUENGO / Reuters – The horrific testimonies shared by the victims underline the necessity of urgent action to stop this depraved behaviour, says Al-Nashif. At least 52 gang-raped in one week In July, at least 52 women and girls were gang-raped by armed men in the course of a week in the Cité Soleil slum in the capital Port-au-Prince in Haiti, according to the report. Children as young as 10 are among those who have been subjected to gang violence during attacks on their neighbourhood. A woman leads a child past a demonstration against the increasing violence in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Photo: Odelyn Joseph / AP The armed gangs use sexual violence in several ways. Crossing the “front line” between different parts of the city can be one of them. The rapes are also used as a means of pressure on the families of kidnapped women and girls to make them pay ransom. Other times, women and girls may be encouraged by the family to have sex with a gang member against their will, in exchange for other services such as food or protection. According to OHCHR, the aim of the seizures is to gain more power in the capital. In August, the gangs had control or influence over an area of the capital that houses at least 1.5 million people. The area is often marked by the absence of government authorities. The leader of the armed group “G9 Family and Allies”, Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier, is considered to be the most powerful gang leader in Haiti. Photo: Odelyn Joseph / AP Valdteken leading her children One of the testimonies from the attack in July, pregnant Rose (25), was humiliated and beaten by three armed and masked men while her children looked on. The men had broken into her house during an attack on residents in a part of the slum area. Earlier in the day, a member of the same gang that these men were a member of had shot and killed Rose’s husband. Between 8 and 17 July, over 200 residents were killed during clashes between the rival gangs in the capital. A partially blocked street in the capital Port-au-Prince in Haiti. The street is usually full of people. Photo: RICARDO ARDUENGO / Reuters Poor follow-up Few of the rapes are reported to the police, due to both the lack of legal institutions and the great uncertainty. In addition, several of those exposed choose not to tell about the rape because it is taboo. The police have not been able to address the rapes because they lack resources. The armed gangs in the capital have blocked main roads and the country’s most important fuel terminal. The blockade has led to a shortage of drinking water, food, fuel and essential health services. The United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) estimates that around 7,000 survivors of sexual violence will no longer have access to medical help and psychological follow-up. Hundreds of children and adults take refuge in a school in Port-au-Prince due to the rampage in the district of Cité Soleil in July. Photo: RICHARD PIERRIN / AFP Those who have been subjected to rape also do not have access to treatments that protect against sexually transmitted diseases or pregnancy. Health personnel have also been exposed to attacks and kidnappings while doing their work. The use of rape as a weapon is not a new phenomenon in Haiti. There are many reports of armed men raping women during the military regime from 1991 to 1994. It was also used in a period between 2004 and 2005, when 35,000 women and girls were raped in the central part of Port-au-Prince. During the massacres in La Saline in November 2018 and September 2019, at least 41 women and girls were raped by one or more gang members at the same time. A humanitarian disaster Haiti is in a deep economic and social crisis. The country’s government has neither managed to deal with the increasing gang violence in the capital nor to provide the citizens with their basic services. The UN’s Haiti envoy has described the situation in the country as a humanitarian disaster. After President Jovenel Moïse was killed in the summer of 2021, gang violence in the capital has become increasingly worse. Many have tried to flee the country. Since Prime Minister Ariel Henry declared a stop to fuel subsidies on 11 September, the capital has been marked by large protests and violent riots. A man helps an injured and bloody woman during a protest against Prime Minister Ariel Henry in Port-au-Prince. Photo: RICHARD PIERRIN / AFP The protesters demand that the prime minister resign. Want international help As a result of the situation in Haiti, the UN Security Council has adopted a resolution to extend the mandate and strengthen the capacity of the UN office in the country. On 10 October, UN chief António Guterres called on the international community to send forces to Haiti after the country asked for help to deal with the worsening security situation. The governing authorities in the country have themselves asked for help from international forces. The US is to send a disaster team to help the country through the humanitarian crisis, but so far no country has said they will send security forces. The elite Disaster Assistance Response Team (DART) will evaluate the needs and work together with the US embassy and humanitarian organizations to distribute emergency aid to the most vulnerable.
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Gang criminals in Haiti use rape as a weapon – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
