Port-au-Prince.- A disturbing new report has been released on the safety of women and girls in camps housing victims of the Haiti earthquake.
Amnesty International has sounded the alarm bells about growing
sexual attacks, often on widowed mothers and their daughters living in
precarious conditions.
The human rights group has listed a catalogue of shocking incidents.
Gerardo Ducos from Amnesty International said: “As the report shows,
the incidents of sexual violence is widespread. The women and girls are
being attacked under their shelters in the camps, dragged by a group of
men into another area or into another tent and just being raped there.”
The report says security in the camps is inadequate and complaints to police are not taken seriously.
One woman said she was powerless when her 10-year-old daughter was attacked.
She said: “I was entering my tent and my neighbour saw me and said,
‘I just saw some men raping your daughter and my daughter’. When I got
to the scene and talked to the gang, they told me that if I kept talking
they would do it to me as well and beat me up. They slapped us and
stole our possessions.
Ducos added: “The overcrowding of the camps, the lack of security,
the lack of protective measures that prevent or respond to sexual
violence … and the lack of capacity for the Haitian police to respond to
these reports of sexual violence has all compounded a humanitarian
crisis, and women and girls are paying the price for it.”
More than a million people are still living in makeshift camps, one year after the quake that killed 230,000 people.
Amnesty says there were more than 250 cases of rape in several camps in the first five months after the quake.
And every day cases are still being reported.
From: United States, NJ (M_ S Cibaeno 100%)
Just animal behavior.
From: United States, FREEPORT, Long Island.... (Look, beyond the words)
dawgz belong on leashes, And to think unification is a thought in leo's mind....... This is one reason we should not give up our FIRE-ARMS. These are the same people we let roam our streets, beggin and give jobs and health service and protection aswell. Send them all back and start over. There is too much at stake here.
From: United States
@ RobertJose - Keep in mind that it is not every Haitian running around commiting crimes like that. For every offender there is a innocent victim. Don't be so quick to generalize. All the talk of "animal behaviour" and "dawgz belong on leashes" are just examples of how insensitive and out of touch people are to the issues. These scenes play out ALL OVER THE WORLD whenever there is a catastrophic and destructive event. The INDIVIDUALS who commit those atrocious crimes should be severely punished. But don't confuse the few predatory criminals with the mass of innocent people who are doing nothing wrong but trying to survive.
From: United States, FREEPORT, Long Island.... (Look, beyond the words)
Understood Berny, But, when all you see is the negative affects of said group of people, what else to think, I do the same to my own people aswell. Everyone needs to be grouped together Criminals and law abbiding citizens, I also believe that for every criminal there is 10 law abbiding citizen and if the gov can't help curtail the criminal acts, then the citizens must.... If blame is bestowed on the entire group, then anyone with dignity will rectify the problem and purify their reputation.......My opinion.
From: Dominican Republic, Santiago de los 30 Caballeros
What happened to the self hating Dominicans and their anti-Dominican friends? This should make everyone wonder about the motives and identity of some of our most active members.
Just imagine how many postings we would have by now, if Dominicans had committed the sexual atrocities.
From: Canada, Alberta
There is no excuse for this type of behavior. There is, however, a reason and it is not limited to Haiti at all. In many undeveloped or developing countries that experience crisis and/or conflict this behavior among men is not atypical. There are many recorded instances in recent history describing violence like this against women and children. (Bosnia to name just one). One study from an island in the south Pacific stated: Men (in Bougainville) vent their frustrations and feelings of helplessness on mothers and children, they become very aggressive and violent, abusive and in most cases bash up their wives and children. (Savaona-Spriggs 1993)
This example highlights the consequences of the interaction between young men,
alcohol, guns and conflict, the most serious of which is increased violence against
women.
Written by: Atabey, 7 Jan 2011 4:02 PM
From: United States, NYC
The report is so late as this has been going on for a very long time after the tragic earthquake. I had a friend who went to Haiti shortly after the tragedy and he told me stories that caused me to do a double take. Roaming gangs of young men imperious to any authority rampaging, for instance. He was there for three weeks and the images will last a lifetime. But I agree with those that say, let's tone down the rhetoric, language usage should not go into disparaging others. A amicable resolution can be created between Haiti and DR. But it must have BOTH NATIONS committed to the scheme, not one.
Written by: curios1, 7 Jan 2011 10:11 PM
From: United States, right where im standin
whanted and much needed all over the world are men of good charecter . its just sad when i here and kno of these things. and what i think is really sad is when you look at these situations the ratio of good men far out number the criminals by thousands to one and yet they get away with it.
Written by: curios1, 8 Jan 2011 9:54 AM
From: United States, right where im standin
trinihatian i surely do believe that when crimes of this degree are in progress .it is the resposability and the right for the local common man and women to ban together rise up , and literaly destroy these criminals. the un is great at protecting property vehicles food suplies, and seldom ever engage another man unless to protect themselves. i kno what i would do if i where there and no one would now it . and rest asured id get the job done. crimes agents women and children trigger a side of me i dont even like!
Written by: julay, 8 Jan 2011 10:22 AM
From: Dominican Republic
PS- So... anyone come up with an island separator yet?
(just kidding, don't get all round up on me hehe)
Written by: matador, 8 Jan 2011 11:02 AM
From: United States, www.brugal-ron.com/home.php
what would you expect from the Haitian, Lawless country full of animals, and the where is the president and the authority that suppost to help them?
Written by: matador, 8 Jan 2011 1:38 PM
From: United States, www.brugal-ron.com/home.php
Than maybe you need to go back and help them change.
From: Botswana, La reconnaissance est une lachete'
Here is the main factor in this rise to violence everybody fell to realize Penitencier National. Haiti main prison in Port-au-Prince had collapsed during the earthquake all the prisoners had escaped even the harden killers and rapist among them. The work done by PNH for the last 5years in term of making Port au Prince a safer place went down the drain.
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What happened to the self hating Dominicans and their anti-Dominican friends? This should make everyone wonder about the motives and identity of some of our most active members.
Just imagine how many postings we would have by now, if Dominicans had committed the sexual atrocities.
This example highlights the consequences of the interaction between young men,
alcohol, guns and conflict, the most serious of which is increased violence against
women.
(just kidding, don't get all round up on me hehe)