UN Report Details Horrific Gang Practices in Haiti, Describing “Outrageous” Brutality
A recent UN report sheds light on the “outrageous practices” employed by gangs in Haiti to terrorize, punish, and dominate the civilian populace. According to the report, these gangs, which wield control over more than 80% of Port-au-Prince, recruit and subject children to abuse, with some facing fatal consequences for attempting to flee.
Volker Türk, the UN Human Rights chief, labeled the situation as “cataclysmic,” highlighting the ongoing influx of weapons into the country as a major concern.
Warning: This article contains distressing details.
Published on Thursday, the report documents a significant surge in armed violence perpetrated by criminal gangs in the five months leading up to March. Gangs frequently employ sexual violence to instill fear in areas they vie for control, often subjecting women and girls to rape, including collective assaults, in their own homes, often following the killing of their spouses.
Furthermore, the report reveals instances where rape victims suffered mutilation or death post-assault.
The report also exposes the gang’s violence against children, including a harrowing incident involving a three-month-old infant. In a disturbing escalation of violence in previously perceived safe areas of the capital, entire families were mercilessly burned alive in their homes.
The study period ranged from September 2023 to the end of February, during which armed violence instigated by criminal gangs escalated significantly in intensity, with gangs extending their reach across broader geographic areas.