Human Rights Watch (HRW) has released a report highlighting a troubling escalation in sexual violence in Haiti, a consequence of the transitional government’s failure to adequately protect victims. The report underscores that, in recent weeks, there has been a marked increase in sexual abuse by criminal groups, disproportionately affecting women and girls. Alarmingly, data collected over the last ten months indicates that 4,000 cases of sexual violence have been reported, a number believed to underrepresent the true extent of the crisis due to widespread underreporting.
Particularly concerning is the tenfold increase in cases involving minors compared to 2023. HRW’s crisis and conflict researcher, Nathalye Cotrino, emphasized the collapse of rule of law, stating, “The rule of law in Haiti is so broken that members of criminal groups rape girls or women without fearing any consequences.”
HRW is calling upon the interim administration of Prime Minister Edgard Leblanc Fils to enhance the judicial system to ensure access to justice for survivors. Additionally, HRW urges the bolstering of the Haitian health system and appeals to the international community for heightened support to the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission and for strengthening services for survivors of sexual violence.
These calls for action are not only a moral imperative but also a legal one, as the transitional government is bound by international conventions, such as Article 6 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the conventions on the elimination of discrimination against women and children’s rights, all of which Haiti has ratified.
The backdrop to these developments is the worsening security and humanitarian crisis, driven by gang violence, which has resulted in over 3,661 deaths in 2024 alone, according to UN reports. Despite international intervention through the reauthorization of the MSS mission, gangs continue to control the majority of the capital and surrounding areas, severely hampering efforts to provide adequate care for victims of sexual violence. Presently, only 30 percent of health facilities in the capital are operational.