crime - Haiti Observer Blog

It has been reported that more than thirty people have died in Cite Soleil between last Friday and Sunday as a result of violence. Some people reported major intervention by the special force BOID at Wharf de Jérémie, specially in "Belekou", "Boston" and "Fort-Dimanche".

The actual reason for the violence in Cite Soleil is still unclear. While some people informed us that it is the result of a clash between two rival gangs in Drouillard districts Bois Neuf, others think it is politically connected. Some think that the current level of insecurity and crime in Cite Soleil has everything to do with the upcoming election scheduled for October 18, which is in less than a week. A former Deputy in the region accused the PNH for the violence, stating that this was done in preparation to a visit by President Michel Martelly over the weekend

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It is with sadness that we learned the death of Roberta Edwards while in Haiti. Another case of eliminating those who are trying to help. She became victim in a shooting on Saturday night in Port-au-Prince while going to get gasoline.

Roberta Edwards, a US missionary and the director of SonLight Children's Home in the Haitian capital who dedicated her life to bringing hope to the hopeless, was gunned down while driving through Port-au-Prince. As an administrator of SonLight Ministries Children's Home in Port-au-Prince, she used to provide care for 20 orphaned children and feed around 160 children at least twice a day, five days in a week and educational supports for them. Furthermore, Edwards was involved in multiple development projects in Haiti including programs under the U.S sponsored "Healing Hands". Her husband, a Haitian left her in 2000, five years after shifting to Haiti from North Carolina, and she built the ministry from the rubble of her collapsed marriage. The sad incident occurred in the street of Croix-des-Bouquets district, near her home on Saturday night (October 10th, 2015) when her car was stopped by another vehicle which intentionally blocked her path. Two gunmen opened fire on Edwards and dragged one of the three boys traveling with her and fled. The two other boys were able to escape and ran for help. The motives behind the murder and kidnap are still unknown.

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The Haitian American School Principal who has been in charge of the North Miami Adult Education Center since July 2005 was arrested on On Monday, October 5, 2015 hiring employees and then demanding illegal kickback.

His arrest came after authorities say Ridore took $1,000 in cash to hire a man, then demanded illegal kickbacks from him. What the Haitian Principal did not know was that the man he hired was actually an undercover from Miami police detective unit who was secretly recording their conversations.

According to authorities, this is not something that happened for the first time. Investigators uncovered several similar cases where School Principal Ridore had been taking advantage of his position to make illegal gains. They also discovered two ex-employees received more than $14,000 for work they did not do

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On Wednesday, August 26th afternoon, the former Director General of the National Police of Haiti, Jean Nesly Lucien became the victim of an assassination attempt when he was shot by three unknown armed motorcyclists in Tabarre, near the residence of former President Jean Bertrand Aristide. The former Chief of National Police had received two bullets, one in the shoulder and one at the foot and was taken to the hospital for treatment. During the attempt, he was accompanying retired Boston police detective Yves Dambreville, who could not survive his bullet injuries, died on the spot. The police is still investing the cause of the attack.

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The religious community in Haiti was not escaped with the increased level of insecurity that has been recorded in Haiti lately. The latest incident took place this week where several people armed with gun broke into a Sisters house in the city of Verrettes and stole money and equipment.

This is not an isolated case. The religious community has been the victims of several cases of crimes for the past few months. On the night of February 23, 2015, bandits broke into the residence of the Sisters of the Holy Union, in Saint-Michel de l'Attalaye and took money and equipment after physically abusing several nuns. This incident was also repeated in Petite-Rivière de l'Artibonite back in January, 2015.

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Chief of Police, Godson Orelus said that the PNH has been mobilized to bring an answer to the new wave of insecurity in Haiti. All leave requests form Police officers have been cancelled and all officers will be use to bring reinforcement

Talking to journalists from the headquarter of the PNH, Godson Orelus has declared war on the bandits. According to him, when Police Officers become victims, we will put all our resources behind this fight.

It is estimated that over 80% of of the current crimes are made by former inmates. The Police Chief said that they are aware of the problem. Haiti prison system is not adequate, not enough prison or prison cells are available

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French-Haitian Fritz-Joly Joachim, alleged to have connections with a Charlie Hebdo shooter, was apprehended by Bulgarian police when he tried to cross the border into Turkey on New Year's Day. Joachim's capture happened as a result of his wife contacting authorities to report Joachim had abducted their three-year old son. According to her Joachim was on his way to Syria to indoctrinate his son into radical Islam.

Joachim, 29, has been in police custody since January 1st on a French-issued warrant. While in custody officials discovered his connection to Kouachi brother Cherif, who with his other brother, Said, massacred ten Charlie Hebdo cartoonists, also killing two police officers that day. Another warrant was issued documenting Joachim was involved with a "terrorist criminal group".

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On Wednesday, February 11, 2015, the body of a Haitian man was found hanged from a tree in the Dominican Republic in the latest of a series of crimes that may be race related. Other possible motives for the murder -- a likely conclusion drawn by the police as the man, 23 years old, had his hands and feet tied -- is that the man, known as 'Tulile' had been killed for a winning lottery ticket valued at 6,000 pesos.

The dead man, Henry Claude Jean, was employed as a shoeshine man outside the compounds of the Cabral y Báez hospital, where he also solicited commissions to get money to lenders. The identification was done by some of his countrymen after his body was discovered hanged from a tree in the Ercilia Pepin park in Santiago. The killing, and the recent burning of the Haitian flag in another Santiago community, sector Los Ciruelitos, sparked rumors of the continued hatred of Haitians within the Dominican Republic's communities. It is said that groups opposing a union of the two countries in places such as Santo Domingo and Santiago could be behind the rebellions.

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A Haitian national was found on Wednesday dead with his body handing from a tree in Santiago, in the Dominican Republic. Dominican National Police said Wednesday that the body of the man, identified only as "Tulile," was found in Ercilia Pepin Park.

The Haitian man who was lynched was a shoe shiner. Six people have been questioned on the murder and released for lack of evidence

Lynching by hanging is an extrajudicial punishment, an informal public executions by a mob, , in order to punish or to intimidate a minority group.

Kreyol Pale, Kreyol Kompran

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Music promoter, Ewald Étienne, was gunned down last Thursday, December 17, 2014 in front of his home close to Maurice-Duplessis Blvd. in Montreal

Ewald Stephen who was 35 years old was also a cafe owner and bank employee. He has been described by many as a very kind and gentle person.

Haitian-born, Montreal-based show promoter Ewald Etienne became the 27th homicide victim for the city for the year when he was murdered in Rivière-des-Prairies, Montreal. The victim, 35 years of age, sustained at least one gunshot to the upper body in the incident that took place on 63rd Avenue, outside of a home near Maurice-Duplessis Boulevard.

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