An Irish lay missionary and a three-year-old child with a disability are among nine people abducted by an armed gang during an attack on a Catholic-run orphanage near Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on the morning of August 3.
The other victims include seven local staff members, according to Fides, the information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies.
The orphanage, named after Saint Helena, is located in a municipality within the greater Port-au-Prince area and is managed by the international Catholic charity Nos Petits Frères et Sœurs (NPFS). The facility cares for over 240 children, many of whom have disabilities or complex needs.
Among those kidnapped is Gena Heraty, a lay missionary from Ireland who has served in Haiti for over 30 years. As reported by Fides, Heraty was inside the orphanage when the armed group stormed the premises and forcibly took her, a young child with a disability, and several staff members. This is not the first time Heraty has faced violence in her ministry: in 2013, she survived a brutal robbery at the same orphanage, during which a colleague was killed while trying to defend her.
Local authorities, in coordination with UNICEF and the Haitian Institute for Social Welfare, have begun relocating the remaining children and staff to safer areas.
The August 3 incident is the latest in a string of violent acts committed by criminal groups vying for control in Haiti. The region where the kidnapping occurred is reportedly dominated by the gang “Viv Ansanm,” which was recently designated a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. government, Fides noted.
Irish Deputy Prime Minister Simon Harris described the kidnapping as “deeply concerning” and has called for the immediate release of all hostages. While no group has claimed responsibility for the attack, the Irish Embassy is closely monitoring the situation. Haitian authorities have not yet issued a formal statement, leaving families, colleagues, and communities anxiously awaiting updates.
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