The United Nations Integrated Office in Haiti (BINUH) and the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), published a report entitled "Sexual violence in Port-au-Prince:

A weapon used by gangs to instill fear" who meticulously documents the sexual crimes perpetrated by gangs against women, girls and boys of all ages, as well as to a lesser extent against men. It shows how armed gangs use rape and gang rape to instill fear, punish, subjugate and inflict suffering on local populations. Considered as sexual objects, women, girls, and sometimes men, are also forced to become "partners" of armed elements in gang strongholds on pain of death...

Women, girls and boys of all ages have been victims of extremely violent sex crimes. Children as young as 10 and elderly women were gang-raped for hours in front of their parents or children by more than half a dozen gunmen in attacks on their neighborhoods. Considered enemies for their real or supposed support of rival gangs, or for the simple fact of living in the same neighborhoods as these rival gangs, some of these victims were mutilated and executed after being raped.

Furthermore, in these poor and marginalized areas, women and girls may also be encouraged by their own families to have non-consensual relationships with gang elements in exchange for benefits such as food, drinking water and other material gains, as well as "protection" from abuse by other armed men.

These gangs are able to commit acts of sexual violence and other human rights violations mainly due to widespread impunity and easy access to large caliber weapons and ammunition from illegal trafficking. from abroad.

Download the full report in English (PDF 25 pages): https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/Violence-sexuelle-a-Port-au-Prince---une-arme-utilisee-par-les-gangs-pour-repandre-la-peur-EN.pdf

HL/ HaitiLibre