UN Special Representative Patten urges for immediate action as sexual violence surges amid gang violence in Haiti

Country: Haiti Source: UN Integrated Office in Haiti Press Release: For Immediate Release New York, 04 June 2025: The UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict (SRSG-SVC), Ms. Pramila Patten, expresses grave concerns over the escalating levels of sexual violence being inflicted upon women and girls amid the worsening gang violence in Haiti. The situation has reached a breaking point. Since the beginning of the year, reports of sexual violence - particularly rape and gang rape - have surged at an alarming rate. “These heinous crimes are overwhelmingly concentrated in areas under gang control, where State presence is virtually nonexistent. In many instances, sexual violence is being used deliberately and systematically to assert dominance and punish communities,” stated Special Representative Patten. Women and girls are increasingly subjected to sexual violence alongside other grave crimes, including kidnapping and killings during gang attacks. Survivors are often assaulted in their own homes or public spaces. Alarmingly, the past eight months have seen a dramatic rise in documented cases of sexual slavery, further exemplifying the brutal oppression of women and girls. “I echo the Secretary-General and Security Council’s condemnation of the widespread atrocities perpetrated by armed gangs, including conflict-related sexual violence and trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation. Concrete and immediate measures are essential to enhance the protection of Haitians, prioritizing those most at risk,” urged Special Representative Patten. The full deployment of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission to reinforce Haitian national security forces, alongside the enforcement of UN Security Council sanctions aimed at crippling gang operations - particularly the illicit arms flo...

Original source: Relief Web