Nine Individuals Kidnapped from Haitian Orphanage: A Call for Awareness and Action
On Sunday, a distressing incident unfolded near Port-au-Prince, Haiti, where nine individuals, including an Irish missionary and a three-year-old child, were abducted from the Sainte-Hélène orphanage in Kenscoff. According to local officials, the incident occurred in the early morning hours, around 3:30 AM local time (07:30 GMT), when attackers executed a carefully planned operation by breaking through a wall to gain access to the facility.
Among those taken was Gena Heraty, the director of the privately-run orphanage that supports over 240 children, many of whom have disabilities. Mayor Massillon Jean confirmed that seven staff members and one child were also among the victims. Remarkably, the attackers executed their plan without discharging any firearms, highlighting the calculated nature of this act.
Sources indicate that the assailants are believed to be affiliated with local gangs, a pervasive issue in the area. Ms. Heraty, a dedicated humanitarian who has been living in Haiti since 1993, reached out to the organization overseeing the orphanage, "Our Little Brothers and Sisters," to confirm her kidnapping. As of now, no ransom demands or specific requests have been reported.
The Irish Department of Foreign Affairs has acknowledged the situation and is offering consular support to those affected. Gena Heraty, originally from Liscarney, County Mayo, has received several accolades for her humanitarian efforts, including the Oireachtas Human Dignity Award. In a previous interview with the Irish Times, she expressed her commitment to staying in Haiti despite the escalating gang violence: "The children are why I’m still here. We’re in this together," she stated in 2022.
Kenskoff, located on the southern outskirts of Port-au-Prince, has seen a dramatic increase in gang-related violence and kidnappings, with armed groups controlling approximately 85% of the city. Despite the efforts of Haitian police, in collaboration with Kenyan law enforcement and foreign contractors utilizing weaponized drones, attempts to reclaim territory from gangs have largely been unsuccessful.
The UN has reported that the first half of 2025 saw nearly 350 kidnappings in Haiti, alongside a staggering 3,141 homicides. The UN Human Rights Office has raised alarms about the escalating violence, warning that it threatens to destabilize the nation further. As of June, a record 1.3 million individuals have been displaced due to the ongoing turmoil, with families struggling to survive in makeshift shelters amid increasing health and safety risks.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the urgent need for international awareness and action to address the ongoing crisis in Haiti. The plight of those affected, particularly vulnerable children, underscores the importance of humanitarian efforts in regions plagued by violence.
