Pedophiles infect children with HIV in camps in Port-au-Prince

Cases of sexual violence are increasing in the camps of the Port-au-Prince metropolitan area. Children are increasingly targeted

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The vendor was at the market when her daughter, barely 11 years old, was raped at the makeshift « Kid » camp in Bourdon last August.

The child informed him of the facts three days later: she was bleeding, burning with fever and suffering from headaches as well as pain in the lower abdomen.

« I was really upset, » continues the forty-year-old, who has been a refugee in the camp since February 2025, following the gang offensive at Fort National.

Her shock is only just beginning, as medical follow-ups reveal that the child has also been infected with HIV, as a result of her sexual assault.

According to a dozen testimonies from parents, victims and organizations collected by AyiboPost, the previous case is not isolated.

Children are the prime targets of attackers in more than fifty displaced persons camps in Port-au-Prince, where residents live in precarious conditions and in overcrowded conditions.

A girl stands near a pile of bags, containers and clothes piled up in a camp within the Citizen Protection Office, on the road to Bourdon, April 2025. Photo: Jean Feguens Regala for AyiboPost

The local humanitarian organization, the Central Committee of the Solino Humanitarian Corridor, working in conjunction with the camp committees, began receiving reports of rape cases against minors starting in May 2025, according to its coordinator, Genson Jean-Baptiste.

« We received around ten reports of rape in four separate camps: the former premises of the Ministry of Communication in Bois-Verna, at the Office for the Protection of Citizens (OPC), at Kid, and in the premises of Fusion in Bourdon, » said Jean-Baptiste, referring to the possible presence of a pedophile network in these sites.

For the first half of this year, the organization Solidarité Fanm Ayisyèn (SOFA) paints a worrying picture of violence against women across the country, with Port-au-Prince at the forefront, where the phenomenon of displaced women is mainly concentrated.

From January to June 2025, the structure has already recorded 503 cases of violence, including 287 in Port-au-Prince, 40 in Jérémie, 39 in Abricots and 31 in Beaumont.

An increase of more than 83% compared to the same period last year, reflecting « the rapid worsening of the situation, » the report states.

Two little boys sit and a little girl lies on the ground in a camp at the Citizen Protection Office, on the road to Bourdon. April 2025. Photo: Jean Feguens Regala for AyiboPost

The document also highlights the difficulties of access to justice for survivors of sexual violence, as well as procedural delays.

The feminist organization Marijàn, which raises awareness and provides assistance in 75% of the displaced persons camps in the West department, reports a catastrophic situation for women and girls.

A girl lies on the ground, using a mobile phone in a camp within the Citizen Protection Office, on the road to Bourdon. April 2025. Photo: Jean Feguens Regala for AyiboPost

« We have received several complaints of sexual harassment from young girls, as well as cases of domestic violence. Women do not have access to water or hygiene products, » Nathalie Vilgrain, Marijàn coordinator, told AyiboPost.

The manager explains that the organization is doing its best to facilitate access to the necessary resources, particularly for monitoring complaints, referencing rape cases and raising awareness among camp leaders.

The abuser of the child mentioned above is in prison. But one observation remains recurrent: « the majority of women who seek services, despite knowing their attackers, refuse to file a complaint for fear of reprisals, » explains Nathalie Vilgrain.

Many victims become infected with HIV/AIDS as a result of the rapes.

In 2024, an AyiboPost investigation had already warned of the resurgence of HIV/AIDS cases, linked to the increase in rape cases, according to several organizations helping HIV-positive people in Haiti.

The closure of several screening centers in the metropolitan area makes it impossible to provide comprehensive figures on the extent of HIV/AIDS infection among young people.

During a group counseling session in August with women from the OPC camp, another eleven-year-old girl decided to report her attacker at the National School of the Republic of Colombia camp in Bourdon.

A little girl stands wrapped in a towel in a camp at the Citizen Protection Office on the road to Bourdon. Photo: Jean Feguens Regala for AyiboPost

She claims to have been raped around 9 p.m. on April 15, 2025, while she had gone to fetch drinking water.

Men in the camp constantly threatened the girl with rape, according to her mother, who said she felt uncomfortable but explained that she could not leave the camp due to a lack of funds.

Hénose Thurin, president of the management committee of the camp located in the former premises of the Ministry of Communication in Bois-Verna, claims to have made a frightening observation in November 2024.

« A person was using his bedroom to allow children aged ten to fourteen to have sexual relations with each other, » he says.

The official said he had reported this practice, which has since ceased.

However, it reports domestic violence perpetrated by men, as well as situations where certain people linked to individuals offer their assistance in exchange for sexual favors.

Read more: Rape cases are increasing at a worrying rate in Port-au-Prince

The new Haitian Penal Code, in its article 298, punishes rape of a minor with 15 to 20 years of imprisonment.

Perpetrators of sexual assault face a prison sentence of up to seven years, followed by a fine of up to 100,000 gourdes, according to Article 306.

In February 2025, the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) warned of a 1,000% increase in cases of sexual violence against children in Haiti. The increase came amid extreme violence perpetrated by gangs, the UN agency said.

In the Ministry of Communication camp, a 17-year-old girl was already cradling a baby.

The new Haitian Penal Code, in its article 298, punishes rape of a minor with 15 to 20 years of imprisonment.

She and her family fled Joseph Janvier Street during the 2023 assault by the Viv Ansanm gang coalition to take refuge in the premises of the Fritz Pierre-Louis establishment.

As she tried to escape to the camp, she encountered a group of hooded men armed with machetes and rifles, who injured and beat her on the head. Three of them then raped her, according to her statements.

Due to the lack of adequate forensic follow-up, she still bears the after-effects of this gang rape.

“I feel pain all the time. I don’t feel like I used to, I’m not comfortable,” she says, sobbing.

Survivors are reluctant to file complaints.

A second official from the Central Committee of the Solino Humanitarian Corridor suggests that the low number of rapes recorded is linked to the fact that « parents are afraid to speak out and prevent children from reporting them as well. »

At the Ministry of Communication camp, officials set up a suggestion box encouraging survivors of sexual violence to report or contact a resource person on the site.

Survivors also face the risk of violence when they point the finger at their attackers.

This is why the International Organization for Migration (IOM) moved the woman whose daughter had been infected with HIV to a safe place for a few months.

However, she says she fears for her cousin who remains in the camp, who « is being threatened. »

The following organizations provide information and support to survivors of rape or sexual abuse:

In Port-au-Prince, the feminist organization Marijàn offers support at the number (+509) 4716-4984 or at the address: 32, Rue Rivière, Port-au-Prince, HT6110.

Email: contact@marijanayiti.org

The organization Solidarité Fanm Ayisyèn (SOFA) also provides assistance at the numbers (+509) 48 77 95 76 / 43 84 80 35 or at the address: 9, Rue Villemenay, Bois-Verna.

Email: secr2sofa@yahoo.fr

By : Jérôme Wendy Norestyl