Crime in Haiti

Last updated

Crime in Haiti is investigated by the Haitian police. Since the late 2010s, the country has suffered from widespread gang warfare and civil unrest, including a massive prison breakout in 2024. It also suffers from extreme corruption and high levels of sexual violence.

Contents

Crime by type

Murders in Haiti

Reliable crime statistics for Haiti are difficult to come by. A comparative analysis of figures from various police/security entities operating throughout Haiti indicates that incidents of crimes tend to be inaccurately or under-reported. [1] Thus, for example, the United Nations office on Drugs and Crime UNODC documented 1,033 murders, for a murder rate of 10.2 per 100,000 people, in 2012, and as few as 486 (5.1 per 100,000 people) in 2007. [2]

In the 22 months after the ouster of President Aristide in 2004, the murder rate for Port-au-Prince reached an all-time high of 219 murders per 100,000 residents. [3] In contrast, an independent study tracking a large number of households in urban areas of Haiti recorded 11 murders among 15,690 tracked residents during a 7-month period from August 2011 to February 2012. [4] Preliminary results of the assessment found:

The number of reported homicides across all urban settings increased considerably between November 2011 and February 2012. Half of the reported murders occurred during armed robbery or attempted armed robbery. While Port-au-Prince's overall homicide is low in comparison to other Caribbean cities, this nevertheless represents a rate of 60.9 per 100,000, one of the highest recorded rates since 2004 . . .

All but one of the murders occurred in Port-au-Prince. (See: crime in Port-au-Prince )

Sexual violence

Sexual violence in Haiti is a common phenomenon. Being raped is considered shameful in Haitian society, and victims may find themselves abandoned by loved ones or with reduced marriageability. Until 2005, rape was not legally considered a serious crime and a rapist could avoid jail by marrying his victim. Reporting a rape to police in Haiti is a difficult and convoluted process, a factor that contributes to underreporting and difficulty in obtaining accurate statistics about sexual violence. Few rapists face any punishment.

A UN Security Council study in 2006 reported 35,000 sexual assaults against women and girls between 2004 and 2006. [5] The UN reported in 2006 that half of the women living in the capital city Port-au-Prince's slums had been raped. [6] United Nations peacekeepers stationed in Haiti since 2004 have drawn widespread resentment after reports emerged of the soldiers raping Haitian civilians.

The 2010 Haitian earthquake caused over a million Haitians to move to refugee camps where conditions are dangerous and poor. [7] A study by a human rights group found that 14% of Haitian households reported having at least one member who suffered sexual violence between the January 2010 earthquake and January 2012. [8] In 2012, sexual assaults in Port-au-Prince were reported at a rate 20 times higher in the camps than elsewhere in Haiti. [9]

A 2009 study reported that up to 225,000 Haitian children are forced to work as domestic servants and are at grave risk of rape at the hands of their captors. [10] The children, known as restaveks, are traded into other households by their families, exchanging the children's labor for upbringing. [10] [11] Two thirds of restaveks are female, and most of them come from very poor families and are given to better-off ones. [10] Restaveks who are young and female are particularly likely to be victimized sexually. [12] Female restaveks are sometimes referred to as "la pou sa" which translates as "there for that," where "that" refers to the sexual pleasure of the males of the family with whom they are staying. [13]

Corruption

Corruption is a severe and widespread problem in all levels of government in Haiti. Although there has been some progress since 2008, when Haiti was rated the world's fourth most corrupt country, there remains much room for improvement. [14]

Corruption was always "endemic" in Haiti, but became so "widespread that it bankrupted state finances" under the rule of Jean-Claude Duvalier ("Baby Doc"). [15] Under Duvalier's regime (1971–1986), Haiti's transportation network was plundered, and regime elites frequently "raided the accounts of state monopolies" such as the Régie du Tabac (Tobacco Administration) while failing to pay taxes. [16]

Economist Leslie Delatour described Haiti's economy as one in near-shambles. [17] Legal experts have cited a lack of judicial integrity in the country. [17] Two experts in public administration, Derick Brinkerhoff and Carmen Halpern, said that government corruption is ingrained in Haitian politics. [17]

Illegal drug trade

The illegal drug trade in Haiti involves trans-shipment of cocaine and marijuana to the United States. It is a major shipment route. The island of Hispaniola, which Haiti shares with the Dominican Republic, places Haiti in an ideal location for drug smuggling between Colombia and Puerto Rico. Because Puerto Rico is a Commonwealth of the United States, shipments are generally not subject to further U.S. Customs inspection after reaching the territory. Cocaine is also often smuggled directly to Miami in freighters. [18]

U.S. government agencies estimate that 83 metric tons or about eight percent of the cocaine entering the United States in 2006 transited either Haiti or the Dominican Republic. [19] Throughout the late 1980s and into the 1990s, leading members of the Haitian military, intelligence and police were involved in the illegal drug trade in Haiti, assisting Colombian drug traffickers smuggling drugs into the United States. [20]

Kidnapping, robbery

Crimes such as kidnappings, death threats, murders, armed robberies, home break-ins and car-jacking are not uncommon in Haiti. From 2007 to 2016 there was a major decrease in kidnappings of U.S. citizens, but a rise in armed robberies. The incidence of kidnapping in Haiti diminished from its peak in 2006 when 60 US citizens were reported kidnapped to one kidnapping in 2014. [21]

Since May 2014, there have been incidents involving travelers arriving in Port-au-Prince who are attacked and robbed after driving away from the airport. The US Embassy is aware of cases involving 64 US citizens, resulting in three fatalities and several injuries. All cases have involved armed robbery by thieves on motorcycles pulling alongside vehicles in congested traffic. Almost all the victims have been US citizens of Haitian descent. Police authorities believe criminals may target travelers arriving on flights from the United States based on advance information gained from local contacts. [21]

In October 2021, seventeen people associated with an American aid group, including five children, were kidnapped by a gang while visiting an orphanage in Port-au-Prince. [22] [23] The kidnappers demanded $17 million for their release. [24]

On November 7, 2022, the U.S. Department of Justice unsealed criminal charges against several prominent Haitian gang leaders involved in kidnapping US citizens. The indictments included charges accusing three gang leaders of involvement in the armed kidnapping of 16 US citizens in Haiti in the Fall of 2021. Simultaneous with the unsealing the US State Department announced rewards of $3 million for information leading to the capture of the three gang leaders. [25]

By location

Port-au-Prince

A dense slum in Port-au-Prince. US Navy 100316-N-5961C-020 An aerial view of Port-au-Prince, Haiti shows the proximity of homes, many damaged in a major earthquake and subsequent aftershocks.jpg
A dense slum in Port-au-Prince.

A 2012 independent study found that the murder rate in the capital Port-au-Prince was 60.9 murders per 100,000 residents in February 2012. [4] In the 22 months after the end of the President Aristide era in 2004, the murder rate for Port-au-Prince reached a high of 219 murders per 100,000 residents per year. [3]

High-crime zones in the Port-au-Prince area include Croix-des-Bouquets, Cité Soleil, Carrefour, Bel Air, Martissant, the port road (Boulevard La Saline), urban route Nationale #1, the airport road (Boulevard Toussaint Louverture) and its adjoining connectors to the New ("American") Road via Route Nationale #1. This latter area in particular has been the scene of numerous robberies, carjackings, and murders. [21]

In the Bel Air neighbourhood of Port-au-Prince, the murder rate reached 50 murders per 100,000 residents at the end of 2011, up from 19 murders per 100,000 residents in 2010. [26]

On 17 October 2021, a high-profile kidnapping targeted a group of 17 missionaries, including five children and seven women. The Ohio-based organization Christian Aid Ministries stated that the group was on its way home from helping to build an orphanage when they were stopped and kidnapped at gunpoint. Authorities believed that the "400 Mawozo" gang abducted the group, including 16 Americans and one Canadian. [27]

Crime dynamics

While the Haitian National Police (HNP) and the UN Stabilization Mission in Haiti (MINUSTAH) personnel patrol many areas, travel within Port-au-Prince can be particularly challenging and certain areas of the city have more crime.

Criminal perpetrators often operate in groups of three to four individuals, and may occasionally be confrontational and gratuitously violent. [21] Criminals sometimes will seriously injure or kill those who resist their attempts to commit crime. In robberies or home invasions, it is not uncommon for the assailants to beat or shoot the victim in order to limit the victim's ability to resist. [21]

Carnival

Holiday periods, especially Christmas and Carnival, often bring a significant increase in criminal activity. Haiti's Carnival season is marked by street celebrations in the days leading up to Ash Wednesday. In recent years, Carnival has been accompanied by civil disturbances, altercations and severe traffic disruptions. [21] People attending Carnival events or simply caught in the resulting celebrations have been injured and killed. [21]

Roving musical bands called "rah-rahs" operate during the period from New Year's Day through Carnival. The potential for injury and the destruction of property during rah-rahs is high. A mob mentality can develop unexpectedly leaving people and cars engulfed and at risk. During Carnival, rah-rahs continuously form without warning; some rah-rahs have identified themselves with political entities, lending further potential for violence. [21]

Haitian police

While the size of the Haitian National Police (HNP) is increasing and its capabilities are improving, it is still understaffed and, under-equipped. As a result, it is unable to respond to all calls for assistance. There are allegations of police complicity in criminal activity. The response and enforcement capabilities of the HNP and the weakness of the judiciary often frustrate victims of crime in Haiti. [21]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Port-au-Prince</span> Capital of Haiti

Port-au-Prince is the capital and most populous city of Haiti. The city's population was estimated at 1,200,000 in 2022 with the metropolitan area estimated at a population of 2,618,894. The metropolitan area is defined by the IHSI as including the communes of Port-au-Prince, Delmas, Cite Soleil, Tabarre, Carrefour, and Pétion-Ville.

A violent crime, violent felony, crime of violence or crime of a violent nature is a crime in which an offender or perpetrator uses or threatens to use harmful force upon a victim. This entails both crimes in which the violent act is the objective, such as murder, assault, rape and assassination, as well as crimes in which violence is used as a method of coercion or show of force, such as robbery, extortion and terrorism. Violent crimes may, or may not, be committed with weapons. Depending on the jurisdiction, violent crimes may be regarded with varying severities from homicide to harassment. There have been many theories regarding heat being the cause of an increase in violent crime. Theorists claim that violent crime is persistent during the summer due to the heat, further causing people to become aggressive and commit more violent crime.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crime in Canada</span>

Crime in Canada is generally considered low overall. Under the Canadian constitution, the power to establish criminal law and rules of investigation is vested in the federal Parliament. The provinces share responsibility for law enforcement, and while the power to prosecute criminal offences is assigned to the federal government, responsibility for prosecutions is delegated to the provinces for most types of criminal offences. Laws and sentencing guidelines are uniform throughout the country, but provinces vary in their level of enforcement.

Articles related to criminology and law enforcement.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crime in Sweden</span>

Crime in Sweden is defined by the Swedish Penal Code and in other Swedish laws and statutory instruments.

The municipal government of Winnipeg is represented by 15 city councillors and a mayor elected every four years.

Crime has been recorded in the United States since its founding and has fluctuated significantly over time. Most available data underestimate crime before the 1930s, giving the false impression that crime was low in the early 1900s and had a sharp rise after. Instead, violent crime during the colonial period was likely three times higher than the highest modern rates in the data we have, and crime had been on the decline since colonial times. Within the better data for crime reporting and recording available starting in the 1930s, crime reached its broad, bulging modern peak between the 1970s and early 1990s. After 1992, crime rates have generally trended downwards each year, with the exceptions of a slight increase in property crimes in 2001 and increases in violent crimes in 2005–2006, 2014–2016 and 2020–2021.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crime and violence in Latin America</span>

Crime and violence affect the lives of millions of people in Latin America. Some consider social inequality to be a major contributing factor to levels of violence in Latin America, where the state fails to prevent crime and organized crime takes over State control in areas where the State is unable to assist the society such as in impoverished communities. In the years following the transitions from authoritarianism to democracy, crime and violence have become major problems in Latin America. The region experienced more than 2.5 million murders between 2000 and 2017. Several studies indicated the existence of an epidemic in the region; the Pan American Health Organization called violence in Latin America "the social pandemic of the 20th century." Apart from the direct human cost, the rise in crime and violence has imposed significant social costs and has made much more difficult the processes of economic and social development, democratic consolidation and regional integration in the Americas.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crime in Paraguay</span>

Crime in Paraguay has increased in recent years with criminals often targeting those thought to be wealthy. Although most crime in Paraguay is nonviolent, there has been an increase in the use of weapons and there have been incidents where extreme violence has been used.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crime in Panama</span>

Crime in Panama is investigated by the Panamanian police.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bel Air, Haiti</span> Neighborhood in Port-au-Prince, Ouest, Haiti

Bel Air is a neighborhood of Port-au-Prince, Haiti. It is a slum area of the city and suffers from poverty. Crime is widespread, and kidnappings and killings have created panic among the local population. The neighborhood is also noted for housing a community of artists and craftsmen who produce inspired by Haitian Vodou, such as flags.

Crime in California refers to crime occurring within the U.S. state of California.

According to the Louisiana Uniform Crime reporting program, there were 177,710 crimes reported in the U.S. state of Louisiana in 2018. 2018 had the least amount of non-violent criminal offenses since at least 2008. Violent crime decreased from 2017 to 2018, but 2012 still remains the lowest with its record of 22,868. Rape went up 12.7% from 2017 while murder/non-negligent manslaughter declined 7.8%. Additionally, robbery dropped 15% and aggravated assault dropped 1.5%. Handguns remain the leading murder weapon with a rate of 44.7% with firearm following close behind at 35.7%. Together, these two contribute for 80.4% of the murders. Similarly, robberies were committed mostly with firearms in 2018. Firearms were leading with 52% and strongarm listed with a percentage of 35%.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crime in Minnesota</span>

Crime in Minnesota encompasses a wide range of unlawful activities that occur within the state, regulated by both state and federal laws. While crime rates in Minnesota are generally below the national average, certain areas and types of crime have garnered public attention.

Rates of crime in Guatemala are very high. An average of 101 murders per week were reported in 2018. The countries with the highest crime and violence rates in Central America are El Salvador and Honduras. In the 1990s Guatemala had four cities feature in Latin America's top ten cities by murder rate: Escuintla, Izabal (127), Santa Rosa Cuilapa (111) and Guatemala City (101). According to New Yorker magazine, in 2009, "fewer civilians were reported killed in the war zone of Iraq than were shot, stabbed, or beaten to death in Guatemala," and 97% of homicides "remain unsolved." Much of the violent nature of Guatemalan society stems back to a 36-year-long civil war However, not only has violence maintained its presence in the post-war context of the country following the Guatemalan Civil War, but it has extended to broader social and economic forms of violence.

Colombia has a high crime rate due to being a center for the cultivation and trafficking of cocaine. The Colombian conflict began in the mid-1960s and is a low-intensity conflict between Colombian governments, paramilitary groups, crime syndicates, and left-wing guerrillas such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), and the National Liberation Army (ELN), fighting each other to increase their influence in Colombian territory. Two of the most important international actors that have contributed to the Colombian conflict are multinational companies and the United States.

Crime in Venezuela is widespread, with violent crimes such as murder and kidnapping increasing for several years. In 2014, the United Nations attributed crime to the poor political and economic environment in the country—which, at the time, had the second highest murder rate in the world. Rates of crime rapidly began to increase during the presidency of Hugo Chávez due to the institutional instability of his Bolivarian government, underfunding of police resources, and severe inequality. Chávez's government sought a cultural hegemony by promoting class conflict and social fragmentation, which in turn encouraged "criminal gangs to kill, kidnap, rob and extort". Upon Chávez's death in 2013, Venezuela was ranked the most insecure nation in the world by Gallup.

Sexual violence in Haiti is a common phenomenon today, making it a public health problem. Being raped is considered shameful in Haitian society, and victims may find themselves abandoned by loved ones or with reduced marriageability. Until 2005, rape was not legally considered a serious crime and a rapist could avoid jail by marrying his victim. Reporting a rape to police in Haiti is a difficult and convoluted process, a factor that contributes to underreporting and difficulty in obtaining accurate statistics about sexual violence. Few rapists face any punishment.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Crime in the Philippines</span>

Crime is present in various forms in the Philippines, and remains a serious issue throughout the country. Illegal drug trade, human trafficking, arms trafficking, murder, corruption and domestic violence remain significant concerns.

Crime in Rivers State is present in various forms. The most common crimes are murder, rape, kidnapping, armed robbery, gang-related violence and petty crime.

References

  1. ↑ "Haiti 2014 Crime and Safety Report", Overseas Security Advisory Council, US State Department, 28 May 2014.
  2. ↑ Global Study on Homicide. United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, 2013.
  3. 1 2 "Kolbe: Political and Social Marginalization Behind Increases in Crime", Haiti: Relief and Reconstruction Watch Archived April 17, 2015, at the Wayback Machine , Center for Economic and Policy Research, March 22, 2012.
  4. 1 2 "Haiti's Urban Crime Wave? Results from Monthly Household Surveys August 2011 – February 2012", Rio de Janeiro: Instituto Igarape. Kolbe, Athena R & Muggah, Robert (2012), p.3.
  5. ↑ "Haiti's Rape Survivors". Irinnews.org. November 2, 2011. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
  6. ↑ Tracy McVeigh (March 8, 2009). "Haiti: Government inertia towards poverty-stricken young girls & women raped by criminal gangs". global-sisterhood-network.org. Archived from the original on April 16, 2014. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
  7. ↑ Allie Torgan (April 26, 2012). "Seeking justice for Haiti's rape victims". CNN.com. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
  8. ↑ Allie Torgan (October 18, 2012). "Haitians living in fear 'under the tent'". CNN.com. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
  9. ↑ Kolbe, Athena; Muggah, Robert (December 8, 2012). "Opinion: Haiti's Silenced Victims". New York Times. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
  10. 1 2 3 "Study: Thousands of Haitian children work as slaves". CNN.com. December 24, 2009. Retrieved February 21, 2013.
  11. ↑ Nicolette Grams (January 2010). "Island of Lost Children". The Atlantic. Retrieved February 25, 2013.
  12. ↑ Gupta, J.; Agrawal, A. (2010). "Chronic aftershocks of an earthquake on the well-being of children in Haiti: Violence, psychosocial health and slavery". Canadian Medical Association Journal. 182 (18): 1997–1999. doi:10.1503/cmaj.100526. PMC   3001506 . PMID   20682730.
  13. ↑ Sommerfelt and Pederson 2011, p. 87.
  14. ↑ "Haiti". Global Security.
  15. ↑ Philippe Girard, Haiti: The Tumultuous History – From Pearl of the Caribbean to Broken Nation (Parlgrace MacMillan: 2005), p. 112.
  16. ↑ Girard, p. 112.
  17. 1 2 3 "Addressing Corruption in Haiti" (PDF). Claremont Graduate University. Archived from the original (PDF) on January 26, 2016. Retrieved May 12, 2019.
  18. ↑ Haiti: Drug Trafficking Crossroads
  19. ↑ United States Institute of Peace, June 2007, Haiti's Drug Problem Archived August 5, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
  20. ↑ Whitney, Kathleen Marie (1996), "Sin, Fraph, and the CIA: U.S. Covert Action in Haiti", Southwestern Journal of Law and Trade in the Americas, Vol. 3, Issue 2 (1996), pp. 303–332
  21. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "Haiti: Country-Specific Information". U.S. Department of State (December 4, 2014). Accessed April 12, 2015. [ permanent dead link ]PD-icon.svg This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the public domain ..
  22. ↑ Abi-Habib, Maria; Graham, Ruth (October 17, 2021). "Missionaries with an American Christian group are kidnapped in Haiti". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved October 17, 2021.
  23. ↑ Méheut, Constant; Abi-Habib, Maria (October 17, 2021). "Gang suspected in kidnapping of missionaries is among the country's most dangerous". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved October 17, 2021.
  24. ↑ Paultre, Andre; Méheut, Constant; Abi-Habib, Maria (October 19, 2021). "Kidnappers in Haiti Demand $17 Million to Free Missionary Group". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved October 20, 2021.
  25. ↑ "Criminal Charges Unsealed Against Haitian Gang Leaders For Kidnappings of U.S. Citizens". www.justice.gov. November 7, 2022. Retrieved November 7, 2022.
  26. ↑ "Haiti's Urban Crime Wave? Results from Monthly Household Surveys August 2011 – February 2012", Rio de Janeiro: Instituto Igarape. Kolbe, Athena R & Muggah, Robert (2012), p.4. [ permanent dead link ]
  27. ↑ "Powerful gang behind kidnapping of 17 US and Canadian missionaries in Haiti, security source says". CNN. October 18, 2021. Retrieved October 18, 2021.

Works cited

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.