Amnesty International exposes gang violence against children in Haiti

Haiti.- Amnesty International (AI) has denounced the severe violence suffered by minors in Haiti, highlighting recruitment, sexual assault, and targeted attacks by gangs. According to the report released on Wednesday, over one million children live under the influence or direct control of criminal groups in a country facing a deep political, humanitarian, and security crisis.

The report details that gangs force children into roles such as spies, couriers, and domestic workers, often coercing them through hunger or fear. Additionally, girls are frequently victims of kidnappings, rapes, and sexual violence, particularly during gang takeovers of new areas. AI documented cases of 18 girls who suffered sexual violence, including 10 who were gang-raped, with some resorting to unsafe abortions due to Haiti’s strict abortion laws. Many minors have also been injured or killed in violent gang incursions.

AI’s research, conducted between May and October 2024, included interviews with 51 minors and 15 parents. The findings come amid escalating gang violence, with the UN estimating that gangs control 85% of Haiti’s capital. In 2024 alone, at least 5,601 people were killed due to gang-related violence, an increase of 1,000 deaths from the previous year.