Abuse - Haiti Observer Blog

Next to children, elderly people are the most vulnerable group in the population. There are six major types of abuse often found within he elderly population.

1. Physical abuse. This is an intentional, non-accidental use of force against an elderly person that results in physical pain, injury, or impairment.

2. Emotional abuse characterized by Verbal intimidation and ridicule through yelling or threats. Blaming or scapegoating also fall into this category.

3. Psychological abuse is by nature non-verbal. Example of psychological abuse includes: ignoring the elderly person or isolating him/her from friends or activities. also terrorizing or menacing the person.

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The United Nations (UN), Amnesty International and some other human rights organization observes the International Day of on August 30 each year.

"An enforced disappearance (or forced disappearance) occurs when a person is secretly abducted or imprisoned by a state or political organization or by a third party with the authorization, support, or acquiescence of a state or political organization without admitting the person's fate and whereabouts, within the intent of placing the victim outside the protection of the law." An enforced disappearance is a form of human rights violation. This practice has frequently been used as a strategy to spread terror and insecurity within the society. It is a global problem and is not restricted to a specific region of the world. The day is also known as International Day of the Disappeared. It is not a public holiday, a UN observance since August 30, 2011.

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Paul Kendrick, a Maine activist for sexual abuse victims, from his desk in Freeport, led an email and blog campaign publicizing and accusing Michael Geilenfeld, the founder of St. Joseph's Home for Boys and North Carolina-based 'Hearts with Haiti' in false allegation of child abuse. In late 2011, he sent out emails to hundreds of people accusing Geilenfeld of being a serial pedophile and 'Hearts with Haiti' of refusing to do anything about him.

The jury has awarded $7 million in damages to Michael Geilenfeld and $7.5 million to the Hearts with Haiti, although seven Haitian men had testified that they were molested by Geilenfeld. However,, it has been learnt that Mr. Kendrick never met Michael or any residents or staff of the homes, and having never visited any of the three children's homes for disabled and disadvantaged children in Haiti. Many observers are of opinion that Mr. Kendrick had the intention to disrupt St. Joseph Family's fundraising network in the United States and Canada, targeting their largest donors, fundraisers in the U.S and Canada. The Department of Homeland Security had launched an exhaustive investigation into Mr. Kendrick's claims and found them to be baseless.

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An appellate court in Haiti comprised of three-judge panel said on Thursday, February 20, 2014 that former dictator Jean-Claude Duvalier should face trial on human rights abuse. This decision by the appellate court in Haiti eliminated a ruling by an investigative judge in 2012 that threw out the human rights charges against Duvalier on the grounds that the statute of limitations to bring such charges had expired.

It seems more certain than ever before that Jean-Claude Duvalier will be facing in the near future many of the victims of his private militia known as the Tonton Macoutes.

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Matthew Andrew Carter, a man from Michigan, USA, who operated a home for poor children in Haiti as a guise through which he could sexually abuse the children, has been sentenced to 165 years in prison by a judge in Miami. The 68 year old man tried to discredit the witnesses who spoke against him, but, after an hour and a half of deliberations, the federal jury convicted Carter on five counts of leaving the United States for the specific purpose of sexually assaulting minors as well as one count of attempting child sex tourism.

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We have new information on the rape case of Josue Pierre-Louis.

New information coming from the father of the rape victim would suggest that the team working for Josue Pierre-Louis is willing to use cash and influence to keep the case from going any further.

It has been disclosed that the team defending former Justice Minister and actual President of the CEP, Losue Pierre-Louis, have been trying to buy the opposition. The father of the alleged rape victim said says that the Haitian government offered his daughter $300,000.00 and a job at a consul office outside of the country if she would drop her rape case against Josue Pierre-Louis.

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Who is right? Who is telling the truth?

Josue Pierre Louis said no Rape, Victim said oh yes, there was rape. Not only there was rape but her face was the receiver of many slaps by Josue Pierre-Louis.

Folks here you have it, both videos. You have a chance to watch both sides of the argument.

In the first video below, you will see the version of Mr. Josue Pierre Louis, president of CEP. Accompanied with attorney Reynold George, Josue Pierre Louis stated that "I am not going to talk about Marie Daniel Bernadin, whom he gave the nickname: "Dannie" who was a personal and intimate friend". That: "She was someone he trusted...."

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The Chairman of the Board election, Me Joshua Pierre-Louis is hit with with a major accusation. He is accused of raping his secretary. Mr. Josué Pierre Louis is the current head of the Permanent Electoral Council (CEP)

According to Haiti Press Network, a complaint was filed in the Civil Court prosecutor of Port-au-Prince by one of the secretaries of Josué Pierre Louis who said that she was assaulted and raped by her supervisor.

It was also reported the the alleged rape victim is in the process of being evaluated medical after the abuse to confirm that the rape actually took place. Other important players are actually getting involved in the case such as the organizations defending the rights of women and especially RNDDH.

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With the weak economy and poor living conditions in Haiti, many women, including teenagers, have settled to becoming prostitutes just to earn. Prostitution is illegal in the country but this does not stop women from getting paid for sex. Since the 1940s, prostitution rings have been active in the country and it only got worse as time went by and catastrophes hit the Caribbean nation.

According to a report in 2005, Haitian children were being trafficked in the Dominican Republic, where they were forced to work as slaves or prostitutes. Many of these children were orphaned, while others can no longer be supported and fed by their parents. As a result, they are brought to the Dominican Republic and sold to families and individuals looking for a child laborer. There were reports that the trafficked children have been physically abused too and some were so traumatized they can not recall how they got to that situation.

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Whether the victim is tricked into owing a debt, forced into servitude, or sent to work as an unpaid domestic, all are forms of slave labor.

Sources in the international community say that enslavement is a threat to anybody by virtue of random circumstances not under their control. In some instances, victims are lured by promises of a better life. Preying upon the destitute and naïve from underdeveloped countries, seeking a way out of their misery, these predators ensnare and coerce their victims into debt bondage.

An illustration of this method of slavery is the plight of illegal crossing over the border from Mexico into the U.S. Lured by rumors of work, they are picked up during the border cross and told there are jobs waiting for them. They ride for days, caged within the vehicle, with no chance to eat or relieve themselves.

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