The Brigade for the Protection of Minors from the Southern Departmental Directorate of the National Police informs AyiboPost that it recorded 13 cases of sexual violence involving minors in June alone for the city of Les Cayes
Children and teenagers fleeing insecurity in Port-au-Prince are the victims of sexual violence in the south of the country, local authorities reveal to AyiboPost.
On some days, the directorate of the Ministry of the Status of Women and Women’s Rights (MCFDF) receives up to eight cases of sexual violence, mainly against minors, according to its departmental director. Most of them come from the capital.
The Brigade for the Protection of Minors (BPM) from the Southern Departmental Directorate of the National Police informs AyiboPost that it recorded 13 rape cases involving minors in June alone for the city of Les Cayes.
The area rarely exceeded half that figure, in a city where the vast majority of sexual assaults on children are not formally recorded, according to Inspector Jean Robert Saint Louis, current head of the BPM.
On some days, the directorate of the Ministry of the Status of Women and Women’s Rights receives up to eight cases of sexual violence, mainly against minors, according to its departmental director.
The Institute of Social Welfare and Research in the South is aware of 21 cases between April and June.
« This sexual violence affects young girls aged 10 to 17, and even 3-year-olds, » Bertrand Meridien, coordinator of the state institution dedicated to the protection of children and families, told AyiboPost.
Les Cayes, Camp-Perrin, Torbeck, Maniche and Chantal are among the municipalities most affected by the trend, according to the official.
Most of the victims seek refuge in the south, after being chased out of Port-au-Prince by gangs.
The region is experiencing the largest increase in the number of internally displaced persons in the country.
An estimated 114,627 displaced people have settled there, according to a report on the displacement situation in Haiti published by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in June 2024.
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The number of children registered in the commune is growing, according to local authorities interviewed by AyiboPost.
« We come across cases where these children have no family in the region. They live on the streets and are victims of rape, » says Inspector Jean Robert Saint Louis, head of the BPM.
The region is experiencing the largest increase in the number of internally displaced persons in the country.
According to the BPM, the economic precariousness of parents, the lack of education of minors, and family neglect are among the factors that contribute to the vulnerability of children.
Most of the victims testify that they have been abused by a person « providing financial assistance to the family. »
Others are victims from being in a situation of domesticity, according to the inspector.
Local institutions involved in the fight against sexual violence insist on the need to support victims, train parents and ensure legal proceedings.
However, limitations related to the lack of resources and dysfunction in the judicial system hinder their response.
Foreign partners can no longer finance initiatives for the protection of minors due to persistent instability and insecurity, Inspector Saint-Louis told AyiboPost.
Most of the victims testify that they have been abused by a person « providing financial assistance to the family. »
The State invests very little, notes Ditchly Sylvain, Southern departmental director of the MCFDF. This prevents the institution from adequately supporting victims.
In most cases, influence and economic resources obstruct justice.
Read also: In Grand’Anse, child rapists pay to escape prison
The brother of a priest in Camp-Perrin sexually abused a minor about three years ago.
« The justice system could not stop him, and with influence and money, he left the country, » a source close to the BPM told AyiboPost.
By Lucnise Duquereste and Jabin Phontus
Cover image edited by AyiboPost depicting a young girl from behind, standing in the street, facing a beautifully carved door surrounded by weathered walls.
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