On Tuesday July 25, 2023, the Anti-Corruption Unit (ULCC) organized a consultation workshop on the preparation of a draft bill on the criminalization of "sextortion" as an act of corruption. This text is intended to broaden the discussion of requests where sexual favor is demanded by a third party in order to provide a service to another person.

Personalities from the State, representatives of associations for the defense of human rights, representatives of civil society associations and those of the judicial sector took part in this workshop held under the theme: "Towards the incrimination of sextortion as an act of corruption.”

In line with Government policy, the ULCC has launched this crucial and daring debate on sexual corruption in order to provide the Haitian State with a legal instrument which aims to anticipate all forms of corruption in the interest of society.

During his intervention Me Hans Jacques Ludwig Joseph, the Director General of the ULCC, stressed the importance of raising the thorny and often circumvented problem of the solicitation of sexual acts as currency for a public service, in order to lead to a proportional legal framework of a penal nature.

According to Mr. Joseph, this approach undertaken by the ULCC is in accordance with the provisions of article 7 of the decree of September 8, 2004, which confers on the ULCC this pre-legislative competence. In this sense, it must seek in the legislation, regulations and administrative practices, the factors of corruption in order to recommend reforms aimed at eliminating them.

To fight effectively against the scourge of corruption, Me Joseph believes that it is necessary to adopt a multidimensional approach for a better assimilation of the problem. He says he is ready to take into account the transversality of gender issues, pointing out that women are often victims of a particular type of gender-related corruption, called “sextortion”.

HL/ HaitiLibre