Press Release: For Immediate Release

New York, 04 June 2025: The UN Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict (SRSG-SVC), Ms. Pramila Patten, expresses grave concerns over the escalating levels of sexual violence being inflicted upon women and girls amid the worsening gang violence in Haiti.

The situation has reached a breaking point. Since the beginning of the year, reports of sexual violence - particularly rape and gang rape - have surged at an alarming rate. “These heinous crimes are overwhelmingly concentrated in areas under gang control, where State presence is virtually nonexistent. In many instances, sexual violence is being used deliberately and systematically to assert dominance and punish communities,” stated Special Representative Patten. Women and girls are increasingly subjected to sexual violence alongside other grave crimes, including kidnapping and killings during gang attacks. Survivors are often assaulted in their own homes or public spaces. Alarmingly, the past eight months have seen a dramatic rise in documented cases of sexual slavery, further exemplifying the brutal oppression of women and girls.

“I echo the Secretary-General and Security Council’s condemnation of the widespread atrocities perpetrated by armed gangs, including conflict-related sexual violence and trafficking for the purposes of sexual exploitation. Concrete and immediate measures are essential to enhance the protection of Haitians, prioritizing those most at risk,” urged Special Representative Patten.

The full deployment of the Multinational Security Support (MSS) mission to reinforce Haitian national security forces, alongside the enforcement of UN Security Council sanctions aimed at crippling gang operations - particularly the illicit arms flow fueling these crimes - has never been more urgent. Widespread insecurity and the broader humanitarian crisis are unraveling the social fabric, displacing thousands and pushing many into overcrowded and unsafe shelters. Access to essential services, including medical and psychological support for survivors, remains severely limited. The closure of critical health facilities due to insecurity has further strained an already fragile system while impunity for these crimes emboldens perpetrators.

Urgent and decisive action is required. The recent adoption of a decree establishing two Specialized Judicial Units, supported by the United Nations - including one focused on mass crimes such as sexual violence - and the reopening of the Court of First Instance of Port-au-Prince, marks critical progress toward accountability and restoring the rule of law.

“I urge the Government of Haiti to accelerate the operationalization of these Units and call upon the international community to support these national efforts. Securing adequate funding is essential to allow service providers in meeting the health, psychological, and reintegration needs of survivors. Ending impunity is a fundamental step in breaking the cycle of violence and restoring dignity and safety to Haiti’s women and girls,” concluded SRSG Patten.

For media inquiries, please contact:

Ms. Géraldine Boezio, Office of the Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict

Tel: +1 917 367 3306 Email: geraldine.boezio@un.org

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