Nine people, including a three-year-old disabled child and a long-serving Irish missionary, have been kidnapped from an orphanage in Haiti in a chilling reminder of the country’s collapse into lawlessness. The abduction took place at about 3.30am on Sunday at the Sainte-Helene orphanage in Kenscoff, southeast of the capital, Port-au-Prince.
Among those taken by gunmen were Gena Heraty, an Irishwoman who has worked with disabled children in Haiti for over three decades, seven Haitian staff members, and a disabled toddler. The attackers gained entry by breaking through a wall. No shots were fired, but the kidnapping was clearly premeditated, said Kenscoff Mayor Jean Massillon, describing it as “a planned operation.” The gang went straight to the staff residence and left with the nine hostages.
The Sainte-Helene facility, run by the charity Nos Petits Frères et Sœurs (“Our Little Brothers and Sisters”), known internationally as Nuestros Pequenos Hermanos (NPH), is home to 270 children, including 50 with disabilities.
Sister Heraty, known internationally for her humanitarian work, had only brief phone contact with colleagues after her abduction to confirm the incident. No group has claimed responsibility, and no ransom demand has yet been made.
This latest attack comes amid a terrifying escalation of violence by Haitian gangs, which have become de facto rulers of vast swathes of the country.
The criminal coalition Viv Ansanm, suspected of the Kenscoff attack, is one of the most brutal. Earlier this year, on February 25, they stormed the Delmas 30 neighbourhood in Port-au-Prince at dawn, wielding AR-15s, handguns, and machetes.
Homes were looted and torched, women raped, and some residents—including two off-duty soldiers—were murdered. Survivors, like Johnise Grisaule and her three-year-old son, now live in makeshift refugee camps alongside thousands of others.
The gangs’ growing brutality is directly fuelled by an influx of smuggled US firearms. Military-grade rifles, sniper scopes, and body armour are being trafficked through Florida, especially via the Miami River, concealed in shipping containers labelled as aid or secondhand goods.
In 2024, US-based gang leader Joly Germine coordinated the smuggling of dozens of high-powered weapons into Haiti via WhatsApp, from behind bars. Most of the guns used in Caribbean crimes originate in the US, according to American law enforcement.
Kenscoff, once a peaceful rural town, has become a strategic target for Viv Ansanm, which is expanding its grip on the capital and its outskirts. More than 3,100 people were killed in Haiti in the first half of 2025 alone, and over 1.3 million are now displaced.
Despite promises of international support, the Haitian Government has failed to curb the chaos. Local officials say gangs control 90% of Port-au-Prince, and services like healthcare and rubbish collection have collapsed. Armed groups now tax goods entering the capital and enforce curfews.
Mayor Massillon condemned the orphanage kidnapping as a new low in a wave of atrocities: “We deplore this attack and call on the authorities to reclaim the territory lost to these armed bandits.”
A statement issued by NPH Ireland said: “Seven staff members of NPH International, including Gena Heraty and one youth, were taken from the premises in an incident that remains under assessment.
“Given the evolving nature of this situation, we are withholding further comment until more details are confirmed.
“We ask for discretion and patience as we manage this sensitive matter.
“Our thoughts are with the eight individuals, and we remain hopeful for their safe return”.