On Sunday, nine people were kidnapped from the Sainte-Hélène orphanage in Kenscoff, situated near Port-au-Prince. Among those abducted is Gena Heraty, the orphanage's director and a well-regarded Irish missionary, alongside a three-year-old child and seven staff members. The attack occurred around 3:30 PM local time, when assailants forcibly entered the facility without gunfire, marking the incident as a "planned act," according to local Mayor Massillon Jean.
Witnesses report that the attackers breached a wall to gain access to the orphanage, which provides care for over 240 children, including many with disabilities. Ms. Heraty, who has been in Haiti since 1993, managed to contact her organization, "Our little brothers and sisters," early on Sunday to confirm her abduction. While no demands for ransom have been reported, Ireland's foreign affairs department is reportedly offering consular assistance to the victims' families.
Despite the surge in gang violence, Ms. Heraty has expressed a deep commitment to the children she serves, stating previously, "The children are why I'm still here. We're in this together." Since early 2025, the Kenscoff area has faced incessant incursions by notorious gangs that control much of Port-au-Prince. Efforts by Haitian police, aided by Kenyan police forces and foreign contractors with drones, to tackle gang activities have largely been unsuccessful.
The ongoing crisis has seen rampant gang violence and an alarming uptick in kidnappings. Reports indicate that almost 350 individuals were abducted in just the first half of 2025 alone, while the UN has highlighted that armed groups exercise control over about 85% of the capital. The dire circumstances have left countless families vulnerable, struggling to survive in makeshift conditions amidst worsening health risks and threats to safety.
With 1.3 million people displaced by the unrest as of June, the UN Human Rights Office has voiced concerns over the escalating violence, warning that the social fabric of Haiti is on the verge of collapse, threatening further instability for an already beleaguered nation.
