Rape looms large over Haiti slums

Human rights organisation Amnesty International is calling on the Haitian government to do more to tackle the widespread rape of girls, often by gangs of armed men.

Amnesty says 55% of the 105 rapes reported so far this year were of girls aged under 18.
In August, the BBC's Xanthe Hinchey visited Haiti where one young woman told her story of being raped.
Mary Jane is a shy and skinny 16-year-old.
She speaks quickly and so quietly that you almost have to stop breathing to hear her speak.

She stares straight ahead when she tells me what happened to her two years ago.
"I was on my way to buy water for my mother when a man from my neighbourhood grabbed me and said he would rape me," she says.

"As soon as he said that I ran. But he ran after me and trapped me in a corridor.

"After he raped me he didn't want to let me go. He hit me. But I was holding a pair of scissors that I had been using to make some T-shirts so I pushed them into his stomach and I ran home," she says.

The man died.

Mary Jane says that same night the other members from the man's gang then tried to kill her and burned down her family's home.

The next day she was arrested and imprisoned for two years in an adult jail.

It was not Mary Jane's first encounter with violence. Her attacker had been part of a neighbourhood gang who had raped her when she was 12 years old.

"It was at night on Christmas Eve and right there, in the street, these men grabbed me and all three raped me."

Weak justice
Two years ago, the United Nations in Haiti acknowledged widespread rape in the vast slums in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince.

The UN said that almost half of the girls and young women, living in conflict-zone slums, like Cite Soleil and Martissant, had been raped.

But Amnesty says that not enough has been done to stamp out widespread rape which is on the rise again.

Rape was only made a criminal offence in Haiti in 2005. Before then judges would negotiate a sum of money to be paid to the victim's family.

But despite the new law, the prosecution rate for rape remains extremely low.

One of the chief tasks of Minustah, the UN peacekeeping and stabilisation mission sent to Haiti four years ago, is to help the Haitian government to reform the country's weak justice and penal system.

Hedi Annabi, head of the United Nations mission in Haiti, says that about 90% of the people in prisons have not been sentenced.

"It's important to get those who are accused of serious crimes before a court and get them sentenced so the message starts spreading that immunity is no longer assured," he says.

"But success is never immediate when you work on these difficult problems."

Mary Jane is angry that there is no justice in Haiti.
"I shouldn't have been sent to jail because I was a victim several times," she says.

"The gang burnt down my house, they beat me and they raped me."

Political weapon
Myriam Merlet, who heads the government's Ministry of Women, blames the high rate of rape in Haiti's slums on the political turmoil that has stained the country since the Duvalier family dictatorship was ousted in the mid-1980s.

"Rape has been used as a political weapon in this country since 1986. The soldiers in the army used rape to frighten people. The Chimeres (mainly pro-Aristide gangs) used rape to control the population," she says.

"Now the street gangs in the slums use rape as a powerful weapon of war."

She also says that there is a "state absence" in the slums and the gangs have "full power to terrorise the population as they wish".

But until drastic action is taken, Mary Jane - like so many other girls in Haiti - will have to continue to live in daily fear of being raped.

"I don't feel that I am living now because if someone is not free, that person will never feel good," she says.

"I want to live with my mother but the gang could find me and hurt me.

"When I go out I have to keep watching. I have to keep watching all the time."

Mary Jane's name has been changed to protect her identity
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/7750568.stm

Published: 2008/11/27 19:34:34 GMT

© BBC MMVIII

Don't turn your back on girls - Sexual violence in Haiti
27 November 2008

Sexual violence against girls in Haiti is widespread and pervasive and, although already at shocking levels, is said to be on the increase. While information on the true levels remains scarce, there is much evidence of sexual violence both in the family and within the wider community, particularly by armed gangs.

Public security and the legacy of sexual violence
Against a backdrop of kidnappings, criminal violence and gang warfare, violence against women and girls in the community has soared. One trend is the prevalence of rapes involving groups of armed men.

For the three years that followed the military coup in 1991 when President Jean-Bertrand Aristide was ousted, rape was used as a political weapon to instil fear and punish those who were believed to have supported the democratic government. During this time, there were widespread reports of armed men raping women.

Since the fall of the military regime, this has become a common practice among criminal gangs. In run up to Haiti’s annual carnival in February last year, 50 cases of rape were reported in just three days in the capital against women and girls in the capital Port-au-Prince.

Violence in the family is also prevalent and often hidden. Children often lack the resources and support they need to report violence in which family members participate or collude. The result of the failure to acknowledge and address this problem is a social climate in which violence in the family is seen as normal and inevitable.

Poverty in Haiti is extreme and plays a major role in putting girls at greater risk of sexual violence. Girls are bribed to remain silent by perpetrators, who are able to give them money to pay their schools or accommodation fees. Others who go in search of a public place with lighting by which to do their homework because their home has no electricity are attacked by groups of men.

Girls who become pregnant as a result of sexual violence find themselves at risk due to the lack of adequate healthcare. Only one in every four births in Haiti is assisted by qualified health personnel and large numbers of women and girls are dying as a result of pregnancy related complications.

The consequences of sexual violence on girls are profound and lasting. In addition to immediate physical injuries, survivors may have to face unwanted pregnancy; sexually transmitted diseases; and mental health problems such as post-traumatic stress disorder, anxiety and depression.

These consequences can have particularly series long term effects on girls, who are at higher risk of dying during childbirth or pregnancy and may also find their education disrupted, or find themselves excluded from school due to pregnancy.

One girl who raped when she was eight years old said: “I was going to school, but I left after I came here [to a shelter] because my father raped me. I was in the first year. I loved copying the lessons, writing. When I grow up I would like to be a doctor.”

Barriers to justice
Girls are often unwilling to report cases of rape, largely due to shame, fear, and social attitudes that tolerate male violence. Another major disincentive to reporting is the lack of confidence that girls will experience a positive and supportive response from law enforcement officials.

In some rural areas, the sole representative of the justice system is the justice of the peace. It is not uncommon for the justice of the peace to encourage girls who have faced violence accept an "amicable settlement" with the family of the perpetrator.

The justice system in Haiti is weak and ineffectual. The Police unit in charge of protecting minors is woefully under-staffed. In March 2008, the unit had 12 officers to cover the entire country and not a single vehicle. It is not surprising that so many of those who attack girls are never brought to justice, and so many girls feel there is no purpose in reporting crimes of sexual violence.

The authorities in Haiti have taken steps in recent years to address the problem of violence against women and girls. The Ministry of Women’s Affairs was established in 1994 and has been involved in important initiatives to address the problem.

In 1995, a National Plan of Action to Combat Violence Against Women was adopted. If implemented, this could bring about significant improvements in prevention and punishment.

The Haitian authorities face major challenges posed by the ongoing public security crisis, a succession of humanitarian disasters, and high levels of poverty and marginalization. These important concerns cannot be allowed to drown out the needs of Haitian girls.

Amnesty International is calling on the Haitian authorities to take immediate action to safeguard the rights of girls:
Collect comprehensive data on the nature and extent of violence against women and girls. The lack of data currently stands in the way of devising effective solutions;

Investigate and prosecute all complaints of sexual violence;
Ensure that police provide a safe environment for girls to report sexual violence, and ensure that all complaints are promptly and effectively investigated.

This problem in so prevalent in our country that sometimes I wonder why more haitians are not prosecuted for this crime in the United states.

Again this is one of the reasons that sexual education in our schools is so important.We will never prevent the violences against women in our society as long as we refuse to educate our children properly,particularly our sons.I know how we condemn our girls who are victimized by vile man.haitians think rape is not a crime until it is members of their family who are the victims;then they want to kill the criminals.

There should be more women in the police force to investigate these crimes.The judges should apply the laws forcefully to punish the criminals.Until such puinishments are applied we will always have some men who consider raping a woman is their right.I know some women are too relaxed in certain circumstances ;they have to be firm when they say no.A woman spends a night with a man drinking ; at 3:00 A.M they go to a hotel or to the man's house to make love,is it very difficult to determine if a rape takes place in this condition;I am thinking about Mike Tyson case.Although it doesn't matter where and when a woman says no,but the women should understand when a man reaches his erection it is very difficult for a young man to control himself.it is better for the women to avoid these occasions.

When a group of criminals rape a woman then no matter what the circumstances they should pay for their crimes.I remember the young men of the lacrosse team who were accused by a belly dancers.If the crime took place the young men should have been punished .but the evidence showed that no rape took place.Then it is clear that a woman should be careful in certain circumstances to avoid being victimized.

It is the duty of the police to protect all citizens,but our schools also have a responsiblity to educate our young men properly in order for them to have more respect for women..

Sa pi mal ato?

Menm kreyol ayisyen pa konn pale?

Eske se Ayisyen an jeneral kap fè kadejak oubien se yon ti pwèlièm nan mitan yo kap fè sa?

Pou kisa nounm sa oblije akise tout Ayisyen?

Kote pwofesè Mr Malice?

Si sete yon ti fot otograf oubien yon fi ki tap ekri ou tap wè li. Oubien tou gwo lojik sa yo tro fo pou ou, se pa posib.

Le yon nèg di "nèg nwè ti zorey anraje" sa pa vle di tout nèg nwè gen ti zorey ni yo tout anraje.

Si w li rapô yo, kadejak se yon gwo pwoblèm li ye an Ayiti depi kèk tan.
Nou pa kapab minimize pwoblèm saa pou di se yon ti pwèlyem ayisyen ki fè sa.
Se pou nou denonse kadejak pou bagay sayo sispann.

la sonje ke yo akise 2 presidan ayisyen ki te fè kadejak sou fanm.di ke se yon ti gwoup ki ap fè l se pase a kote pwoblem lan.fok nou genyen kouraj pou nou gade pwoblem yo jan yo ye konsa na korije yo.

Gen yon pawôl an Ayiti kote granmoun, granmoun wi!, di w:
Mwen lage tikok mwen lan lakou a, se ti poulèt ki pou veye zo yo.
Sa vle di tikôk la pa bezwen kontwole kôk li, depi l bande li pa ka rezonnen.

Ebyen, se sa ki pou chanje lan mantalite nou.
Tipoulèt la gen dwa di non e se pou dwa saa respekte.

Memsi li ta finn dezabiye lan kaban, anvan zak la pase li gen dwa chanje lide l.
Menmsi nèg la desi e fristre li pa gen dwa fôse fanm nan.

Sassaye

sa w di ya se sa fok nou fè edikatyon ti gason yo ,men tou nan ekzanp mwen bay de mike tyson e sa Colo mete Koby bryant ak tout ekip la cosse la eske nou ka kondane mesye sa yo?Fok nou edike ti fi yo tou pou yo konprann genyen sitiyatyon pou yo evite.mwen manke viktim de yon bagay konsa.

Se pa tou tan genyen rape vre.Mwen pap pale de gang rape an ayiti yo kote kriminel ap fè ka de jak e touye fanm.

Si fanm nan di non, se pou rete la. Si nèg la fôse fanm nan se kadejak.

Kobe te gen benefis di dout paske yo te sispèk fanm nan te mete yon manèv pou fè yon kob sou Kobe.

Men Mike Tyson pa t gen ekskiz, li aji an zanimo, se konsa li ye. Fanm nan te gen chans li pat manje zôrey li tou.

Edikasyon toujou ede, men kadechak vin tounen yon zam politik ak pouvwa. Lontan pat gen bagay konsa lan peyi a.
Ayisyen pa kapab vin pi sôt, se evolye pou yo ta evolye.

men fok ou sonje istwa jounalis la ke yo te fè ka de jak sou li tou o komansman rey Duvalier ya.mwen kwè li rele Hakim.se pa ke mwen vle padone moun ki fè kadejak yo Ou kondane mike tyson paske li se youn moun ki vyolan men eske w te la nan chanb lan pou konnen sa ki te pase vre. eske fanm lan te rele o sekou?se blag li te konprann mike Tyson te pral ba li a lè saa nan chanb li?mwen byen kwè fanm sa tou se youn gold digger ki te konen ke sil di ke Mike tyson vyole li li ap fè youn gwo lajan.

Ankor map dil youn gwoup delenkan ki vyole youn fanm yo dwe pini yo.men fok nou komanse pa fè edikatyion ni mesye yo ni medam yo.

Nou konn sam pansé? kozé kadejak la menm jan ak kidnaping nan. Si yo té trasé ou egzanp sou tèt nèg kap fè kadejak sou fanm, nou tap wè sil pa tap sispann. Dayè, menm lè ou nèg fôsé pwôp madanm li fè lanmou ak li, sé ou kidnaping, paské sé ou ak ki dwé pozé volontèman. fôk gen anvi ak dézi pou l ka bon.

Antouka, msweté ou jou ni kidnaping ni kadejak va sispann sou tè péyi dayiti, men toutan responsab jistis nan peyi a pa pran mizi drastik, bagay sa yo fèk kômansé, malérezman

Mwen tap gade video 2 vagabon sa yo ke yo arete kite kidnape madanm lan e ki vyole li.sa ki atire atantyonm nan deklaratyon yo fè yo sè ke yo pa genyen oken pitye pou fanm lan komsi se youn bagay normal ke yo vyole fanm lan.yon sel regrè yo genyen ke yo pral nan prison paske se premye fwa yo fè sa. genyen youn nan yo ki tankou yon zonbi li di wi li te vyole fanm lan.komsi sa se pa anyen.

moun sa yo se pa moun yo refoule an ayiti non. se pwodwi lokal ;pwodwi mepri ak iyorans ke yon ti gwoup moun kenbe nan peyi ya.Wi yo merite pann men se pa yo selman ki merite pann non.moun ki mete yo nan kondityon saa osi mechan e danjere.Men sa ki pi red la se sè, kousinn, manman ,grann frè ak sè yo ke yap masakre konsa.Se pou mntre w nan ki pwen jenn moun sa yo san fomatyon.O mwen menm si yon moun dwe kondane mande poiu yo pann ti mesye ki fè masak an Inde yo paske yo te pwomet yo ke yap peye fanmi yo 1200 dola si yo mouri nan atak la men o mwen yo konnen ki moun ki mete yo nan kondityon kote yap viv pi mal pase bet sovaj.Ti vagabon sayo an ayiti pi mal pase bet sovaj.si o mwen yo te genyen kouraj pou yo lite pou moun ki vle chanje la vi yo yon moun ta konprann yo.

an pasan mwen te kwè grameryen yo di pa genyen aksan sikonfleks an kreyol ni aksan tegi(lol)mwen pa komedyen ,mwen renmen ranse ;pa fache.mwen konnen pou ki rezon mwen te fè remak nan lot pos la.se poum te montre enbesilite serten swa disan gid ayisyen.ou wè ki jan mwen ekri pa fache a lez san oken fot si se an franse fok mwen tap sonje reg ki di "le particpie passé employé sans auxiliaire s'accorde comme un adjectif en genre et en nombre avec le nom auquel il se rapporte;s'il est employe avec l'auxiliare etre il s'accorde avec le sujet ;avec l'auxiliaire avoir il s'accorde avec le complement d'objet direct si ce complement est placé avant..fok mwen ta blije ekri "ne soyez pas fachée" (lol)Pa okipe m pafwa mwen konsa mwen takinè jis mwen jwen yon malfrendeng ki pou mete m nan wol mwen.ah ah ah ah kote li mwen pa wè l vinn sou sit la sè jou si.eske se li ki ekri ak yon lot sedo.?(lol)