An official has reported that nine individuals, including an Irish missionary and a three-year-old child, were abducted from an orphanage near Port-au-Prince, Haiti, on Sunday. Among the kidnapped from Sainte-Hélène orphanage in Kenscoff was Gena Heraty, the director. Seven employees and another child were also taken from the orphanage, which houses more than 240 children, some with disabilities.
The incursion occurred around 15:30 local time without gunfire, described by Mayor Massillon Jean as a “planned act.” The attackers breached a wall to infiltrate the premises and targeted the building where Ms. Heraty was located. Haitian newspaper Le Nouvelliste suggested gang involvement.
Ms. Heraty, a resident of Haiti since 1993, contacted Our Little Brothers and Sisters, the organization managing the orphanage, to confirm her abduction, according to a source from the AFP news agency. No demands or ransom requests have been reported.
Ireland’s foreign affairs department acknowledged the incident and is providing consular support. Gena Heraty, from Liscarney, County Mayo, has earned numerous accolades for her humanitarian efforts, such as the Oireachtas Human Dignity Award. Despite growing gang threats, she has expressed her commitment to Haiti, citing the children’s welfare as her motivation for staying.
Since early 2025, the Kenscoff commune near Port-au-Prince has experienced frequent incursions by criminal gangs, which control much of the capital and other regions. Efforts by Haitian police, supported by Kenyan allies and foreign contractors with drones, have not succeeded in dislodging gangs from their territories.
Kidnappings and gang violence are prevalent in Port-au-Prince, with armed groups reportedly controlling 85% of the area. On July 7, six Unicef workers were kidnapped while on an authorized mission in a gang-controlled region, with one released the next day and the others held for three weeks.
In the first half of 2025, UN data revealed nearly 350 kidnappings in Haiti, along with over 3,141 fatalities. UN Human Rights chief Volker Türk warned that escalating gang violence threatens further national destabilization, with 1.3 million people displaced by the chaos as of June. The UN stated that families are struggling in makeshift shelters, facing increasing health and safety risks.