In a Gang-Ruled Haitian City, Rape Survivor Raises Child She Was Forced to Abandon

A Harrowing Story of Survival

Helene was just 17 when a gang attacked her neighborhood in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince. Now 19, she holds her baby daughter close as she recounts the trauma she endured. The young woman, whose name has been changed to protect her identity, describes how armed men abducted her as she tried to flee. She was held for over two months and subjected to daily rape and beatings by masked individuals.

"I didn't even know their names," she says. "Some of the things they did to me are too painful to share with you." Helene became pregnant during this time, but the gang urged her to have an abortion. She refused, believing this child could be the only one she would ever have.

She managed to escape when the gang was involved in a territorial conflict. Now, she raises her daughter in a safe house located in a suburb of the city. This safe house is home to at least 30 girls and young women, many of whom sleep in bunk beds in colorful rooms. Helene is the oldest among them, while the youngest is just 12 years old. Despite her age, the girl appears much younger due to past malnutrition and has reportedly been raped multiple times.

Rising Levels of Sexual Violence

Rape and other forms of sexual violence are on the rise in Haiti as armed gangs expand their control across Port-au-Prince and beyond. The Caribbean island nation has been plagued by gang violence since the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse in 2021. It is difficult to measure the full scale of sexual violence, but medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) reports that patient numbers at its clinic in central Port-au-Prince have nearly tripled since 2021.

Gangs often target neighborhoods, killing dozens of people. MSF states that multiple gang rapes of women and girls are part of these large-scale attacks. Survivors' accounts reveal that gangs use rape to terrorize and subjugate entire communities. When confronted about these accounts, some gang leaders claim they do not control the actions of their members and believe they have a "duty" to fight the state. Others say they become "possessed" during conflicts and lose their humanity.

The Impact on Women and Children

Diana Manilla Arroyo, MSF's head of mission in Haiti, notes that survivors have shared increasingly disturbing stories since 2021. Many report being assaulted by two or more aggressors, with some facing threats from weapons or being knocked unconscious. More women now say their assailants are under 18 years old.

In a drop-in center in another part of the city, four women, ranging in age from late 20s to 70, describe being attacked in front of their children and husbands. One woman recounts returning home to find her family murdered and her house burned down. She was then raped along with her six-year-old daughter, and her younger brother was killed in front of them. "Whenever my daughter looks at me, she's sad and crying," she says.

Similar patterns of murder, rape, and arson are reported by other women. Sexual violence is just one aspect of the broader crisis in Haiti, where over 1.3 million people have fled their homes, and half the population faces acute hunger. The country has had no elected leadership since the assassination of Moïse, and rival gangs have formed alliances, turning their weapons on the Haitian state rather than each other.

Escalating Violence and International Response

The situation in Haiti has deteriorated further since the last visit in December. Hundreds of thousands more people have been displaced, and over 4,000 people have been killed in the first half of 2025, compared to 5,400 in the whole of 2024, according to the UN. Gangs have increased their control from 85% to 90% of the capital, seizing key areas despite efforts by a Kenyan-led, UN-backed security force.

During a patrol with the international force, one of their armored vehicles had a tire shot out, ending the operation. Members of the force rarely leave their vehicles, as experts note that gangs continue to acquire powerful weapons and maintain the upper hand.

Haitian authorities have contracted mercenaries to help regain control. A source within the Haitian security forces claims private military companies, including one from the US, are operating on the ground and using drones to attack gang leaders. However, fear of the gangs persists in many neighborhoods, with vigilante groups taking security into their own hands.

The Struggle for Safety and Aid

"We're not going to let them come here and kill us – steal everything we have, burn cars, burn houses, kill kids," says a man known as "Mike," who operates with a group in Croix-des-Prés, a bustling market area near gang-controlled territory. He acknowledges the fear that exists in the community, with many feeling alone in protecting women and children.

Humanitarian agencies warn that the situation is worsening, with women facing the dual trauma of sexual violence and displacement. Lola Castro, regional director of the UN's World Food Programme, calls Port-au-Prince "the worst place in the world to be a woman." Cuts to humanitarian aid programs threaten to impact support for victims of violence, including those in safe houses like the one where Helene lives.

Funding for contraception has also been reduced, adding to the challenges faced by young women who may already have children. Helene, who dreams of going to school and building a better future, struggles with the uncertainty of raising her daughter in such a dangerous environment. "I always knew I'd have children, just not this young," she says.