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Sunday World
5 days ago
- Sunday World
Haitian gang holding Gena Heraty hostage demand ‘significant' ransom sum
It is understood that intermediaries for the Nos Petits Frères et Soeurs (NPFS)-run orphanage have told the criminals their demands are 'unrealistic' The Haitian gang holding Irishwoman Gena Heraty hostage have demanded a 'significant sum' for her release, it has been reported. According to the Irish Times, the ransom demand is 'far beyond the resources' of the organisation the Mayo woman works for. It is understood that intermediaries for the Nos Petits Frères et Soeurs (NPFS)-run orphanage have told the criminals their demands 'are unrealistic'. As a result, there's not expected to be any significant progress in releasing Ms Heraty and other hostages taken by the gang. Gena Heraty News in 90 Seconds - Aug 7th Ms Heraty's family, based in Westport, Co Mayo, was being kept informed of developments by the Department of Foreign Affairs. Since she was kidnapped in the early hours of Sunday, at least two people have spoken directly to the gang, including to its leader, on behalf of NPF, the Times reports The two intermediaries are familiar with the area of Kenscoff, where the kidnapping occurred and have a 'forensic knowledge of Haitian society and the crime gangs who control most of the country'. Gena Heraty has been living in Haiti for 32 years and is director of the special needs programme at an orphanage. The Co Mayo woman was taken alongside seven others, including a three-year-old child, on Sunday. Yesterday, it was reported that the leader of the Haitian gang that had kidnapped the Irish charity worker and her colleagues have made contact with the with the organisation she works for. The family of the Westport native previously stated they were 'absolutely devastated' by the news of her abduction in the Caribbean island nation. 'The situation is evolving and deeply worrying,' a family statement read. 'We are working closely with NPFS in Haiti and Ireland, the Irish Government, and international partners who are doing everything possible to ensure the safe and immediate release of Gena and her colleagues. 'NPFS Haiti is working actively to ensure the ongoing safety and well-being of all the children and workers at the orphanage in Kenscoff during this challenging time. "We ask that you keep Gena and her colleagues in your hearts as we pray for their safe return." Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs, Simon Harris said he has spoken to the family of Ms Heraty and said her kidnapping is 'deeply worrying'. Speaking on Monday, the Tánaiste said: 'The kidnapping of Irish citizen Gena Heraty, along with seven of her colleagues and a three-year-old child from the grounds of an orphanage in Kenscoff, Haiti, is deeply worrying. 'Gena has served the people of Haiti for over 30 years. 'She has dedicated her life to supporting the most vulnerable people in Haiti and it is imperative that she is released immediately. 'This morning, I had a good conversation with Gena's sister, Noreen, and I assured her that all is being done to ensure Gena's release. 'My Department is in close contact with the Heraty family, local authorities and Nos Petits Frères et Soeurs, the organisation Gena works for. The country's two ambassadors are also in close contact. "We will continue to leave no stone unturned to ensure Gena and her colleagues are released.' Recent turmoil in Haiti has seen crime gangs seize control over areas of the country in place of the current government. According to the United Nations, gangs control 90pc of Haiti's capital Port-au-Prince, and recent months has seen attacks launched on previously peaceful communities. The UN recorded 185 victims of kidnapping in Haiti between April and June of this year, and said that gangs commit this crime to 'subjugate' people in areas under their control.
Extra.ie
5 days ago
- Extra.ie
Gang's 'ransom demand' for return of Mayo aid worker Gena Heraty
The Haitian paramilitary group that kidnapped Mayo woman Gena Heraty has made a ransom demand, a local NGO source has said. Discussions have taken place between Nos Petits Frères et Soeurs (NPFS, Our Little Brothers and Sisters), the organisation for which Ms Heraty works, and the paramilitary group 'Live Together', which is based in Delmas, in the western suburbs of Haitian capital Port-au-Prince. However, a well-placed Haitian NGO source, who is familiar with Ms Heraty's work, told yesterday that the gang might not have taken the Mayo woman to Port-au-Prince. Pic: University of Limerick/RollingNews 'There are many empty houses in the area, because so many people have fled the violence. The gangs take over these houses. I have seen it myself,' she said. The woman asked not to be named because she feared retribution against her or the NGO for which she works. Speaking in Derrynane, Co. Kerry yesterday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said Ms Heraty, who is in her mid-50s, is the 'manifestation of the very best of missionary endeavour, particularly working for children with special needs'. Pic: Leah Farrell/ He said every effort is being made to secure her release, adding: 'We would appeal to those who have kidnapped her and those in the orphanage to release them, not to harm them. Gena has done a lot of good for people, and we earnestly appeal for their release.' previously revealed the Live Together group had emerged as the chief suspects in the abduction of Mr Heraty and seven others from a Haitian orphanage. Residents in the Haitian town of Kenscoff have described scenes of 'complete chaos' as the group launched repeated raids on their neighbourhoods in recent weeks. On Saturday, masked Haitian police arrested a former senator with alleged links to the group. Pic: Viatores Christi Dublin/PA Wire A special Mass was held on Monday in Cushlough, near Westport in Co. Mayo, for Ms Heraty and her colleagues. Ms Heraty, who is originally from Westport, was kidnapped in the early hours of Monday morning along with one child and six other adults. Tánaiste and Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Harris said the Government 'will continue to leave no stone unturned to ensure Gena and her colleagues are released'. Ms Heraty has been in Haiti for 33 years and has been working to support children with special needs. The Mayo woman is very well-known in and around the commune of Kenscoff, which is approximately 10km southeast of Port-au-Prince. In a statement, her family said they continue to monitor the situation, which they have described as 'evolving and deeply worrying'. The dead in Kenscoff in recent months include pastors, teachers and children. Ms Heraty is the director of special needs programmes at NPFS, an organisation that supports children living with disabilities.
Irish Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Irish Times
Haitian gang holding Mayo woman Gena Heraty hostage makes ransom demand
The criminal gang holding Irish woman Gena Heraty and others hostage in Haiti has made a ransom demand, The Irish Times understands. The payment of money has been raised during conversations between the gang members and two people speaking on behalf of Nos Petits Frères et Soeurs (NPFS, Our Little Brothers and Sisters), the organisation for which Ms Heraty works. While it was unclear precisely how much had been demanded, it was a significant sum far beyond the resources of NPFS. It is understood the gang members have been told the demand was completely unrealistic. As the ransom being sought is so large, Ms Heraty's colleagues have been told by NPFS that any significant progress in releasing the hostages was unlikely over the next few days. READ MORE Ms Heraty's family, based in Westport, Co Mayo, was being kept informed of developments by the Department of Foreign Affairs . Ms Heraty, a missionary who is director of the Sainte-Hélène orphanage run by NPFS in Kenscoff, has lived in Haiti since 1993. She was taken with seven others, including a three-year-old child, on Sunday from an orphanage. Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Harris raised Ms Heraty's case with the EU's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, Kaja Kallas. Arising from the conversation on Tuesday evening, an EU diplomat based in Haiti will be the point of contact in the case. [ Kidnapped Irish woman Gena Heraty will be 'trying to negotiate her way out', says employer Opens in new window ] 'This is an important development, ensuring that this case is firmly on the agenda of the European Union and our EU colleagues,' Mr Harris said. Furthermore, 'different avenues at both political and diplomat level continue to be exhausted' in a bid to free the hostages. Irish diplomats in Dublin, Washington DC and London had already been engaged in efforts to establish local contacts who could help resolve the situation. Since the kidnapping in the early hours of Sunday, at least two people have spoken directly to the gang, including to its leader, on behalf of NPFS. Those two intermediaries have forensic knowledge of Haitian society and the crime gangs who control most of the country, where law and order has broken down. The two negotiators are also very familiar with the area of Kenscoff, where the kidnapping occurred and which is about 10km outside the capital, Port-au-Prince. [ Gena Heraty 'dedicated her life to supporting the most vulnerable' Opens in new window ] Jessica Mullins, chairwoman of the board of trustees for NPH Ireland, the charity's Irish branch, said while Ms Heraty had great resilience, there's 'no doubt there's also an element of fear there'. She said Ms Heraty would be 'putting on a brave face', not just for herself but for everybody else, and would probably be 'trying to negotiate her way out'. There is a long record of kidnappings on Haiti, including of humanitarian aid workers and clerics. Many cases have been resolved with the release of hostages, sometimes after they had spent months being held captive. However, the crime gang behind the kidnapping of Ms Heraty and her group is believed to be linked to Viv Ansanm, a coalition of crime gangs working together to secure control of territory in Haiti from the state. Viv Ansanm has been declared a terrorist organisation by the United States, which regards it as a threat to US national security. The Haitian crime group has also been sanctioned by the United Nations , EU and US. The UN has linked Viv Ansanm to hundreds of deaths during attacks late last year and earlier this year as it sought to take control of communities including Kenscoff. Ms Heraty is from Westport, Co Mayo, and is one of 11 siblings. In a statement, the family described themselves as 'absolutely devastated'. If Ms Heraty and the others in her group were not freed soon, the Government could create of an 'emergency consular assistance team' (ECAT) to boost efforts to secure their freedom. These are teams comprised of experienced Irish diplomats, protected by Defence Forces personnel. They could be deployed to Haiti to co-ordinate local release efforts as has previously been done to assist Irish citizens in Iraq, Sudan and Afghanistan.
Irish Times
6 days ago
- Irish Times
Kidnapped Irish woman Gena Heraty will be ‘trying to negotiate her way out', says employer
Gena Heraty, the Irish aid worker who was kidnapped in Haiti , is probably 'trying to negotiate her way out' and will be 'putting on a brave face', according to the organisation which employs her. Ms Heraty, a missionary who is director of the Sainte-Hélène orphanage run by Nos Petits Frères et Soeurs (NPFS, Our Little Brothers and Sisters) in Kenscoff, was taken with seven others, including a three-year-old child, on Sunday, about 10km outside the capital, Port-au-Prince. The Co Mayo woman, who has lived in Haiti since 1993, oversees the running of the orphanage and is the co-ordinator of its special needs programme. The Irish Times learned on Tuesday that two people representing NPFS had spoken to the gang leader holding Ms Heraty via intermediaries and were awaiting further contact. READ MORE Jessica Mullins, chairwoman of the board of trustees for NPH Ireland, the charity's Irish branch, said while Ms Heraty had great resilience, there's 'no doubt there's also an element of fear there'. She said Ms Heraty would be 'putting on a brave face', not just for herself, but for everybody else and would probably be 'trying to negotiate her way out'. 'It would be a tough environment to work in and to grow up in,' Ms Mullins told RTÉ's Morning Ireland. 'It's rife with poverty, civil unrest. It just shows her resilience. She has showed up every day regardless of how volatile or how tough things get on the ground over in Haiti.' Work in Haiti 'isn't a job' for Ms Heraty, 'it's a vocation', she said. 'It's her true mission in life and she really is an amazing person and just serves with love and compassion and dignity. She's probably one of the most selfless people I've ever met.' Executive director of the centre for global health, Dr Louise Ivers, agreed with this character assessment of Ms Heraty, saying she was 'completely committed' to the children and young people who she takes care of in Haiti. 'She's committed to that place and to the community and to especially the children with disabilities in her house that she cares for, she's a mother to them. She's not naive. She knows the situation. 'Everybody there knows the situation and it takes a tremendous amount of resolve and commitment to doing the right thing and doing a good thing,' infectious diseases expert Dr Ivers told Newstalk Breakfast. 'Gena has been there for over 30 years. She's part of the community, she's fluent in Haitian Creole, she's a well-known entity around, she is really part of the fabric of the organisation and the area where she's living.' Hait is a 'relentlessly challenging' and 'very, very dangerous place', said Dr Ivers, adding there had been 350 reported kidnappings in the country so far this year. 'There's been thousands of people killed by gangs, by the police, by security forces and by vigilante groups who have taken to just trying to defend their own communities themselves.' On Tuesday, Tánaiste Simon Harris raised Ms Heraty's case with the EU's high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, Kaja Kallas. Arising from the conversation, an EU diplomat in Haiti will be the point of contact in the case. Mr Harris added he had been in constant contact with the Heraty family and would continue to provide them with supports. Furthermore, 'different avenues at both political and diplomat level continue to be exhausted' in a bid to free the hostages. The abduction has come during a period of deep crisis for Haiti, where law and order has collapsed and crime gangs, rather than the government, have control of vast parts of the country. It is believed the gang who led the kidnapping are associates - and come under the control and protection of - the Viv Ansanm group in the town of Kenscoff. Viv Ansanm, which means Live Together, was one of two major crime syndicates in Haiti sanctioned by the United Nations last month, with the EU having since amended its Haiti sanctions list to include the two groups. A coalition of multiple gangs, Viv Ansanm is intent on taking control of Haiti, with the US declaring them a terrorist group and a threat to US national security.
Extra.ie
6 days ago
- Extra.ie
Harris assured of support in search for kidnapped Irish hostage
Tánaiste Simon Harris said Haiti's foreign minister has assured his support in helping to secure the release of the kidnapped Irish hostage Gena Heraty. Mr Harris, in his capacity as Foreign Minister, held talks with Haitian Minister Harvel Jean-Baptiste by phone yesterday, seeking that everything be done to ensure the release of Ms Heraty and seven other hostages, including a three-year-old child. Westport native Ms Heraty was kidnapped from a Haitian orphanage she oversees. The orphanage is run by the humanitarian organisation Nos Petits Frères et Soeurs (Our Little Brothers and Sisters). It is understood Ms Heraty was among seven employees taken, along with the young child. Tánaiste Simon Harris said Haiti's foreign minister has assured his support in helping to secure the release of the kidnapped Irish hostage Gena Heraty. Pic:Mr Harris said: 'I welcome my engagement with Minister Harvel Jean-Baptiste after what has been an extremely traumatic few days for the Heraty family, as well as the families of all those who were kidnapped. 'The minister assured me of his support in our work to ensure the safe release of Gena, and all the hostages, who have gone through the most horrendous of ordeals. We have agreed to stay in touch about the case, which remains extremely sensitive. 'My officials in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade are in constant contact with the Heraty family. When we have further updates, we will provide them.' Westport native Ms Heraty was kidnapped from a Haitian orphanage she oversees. (Kidnapped Irish hostage, Gena Heraty) Pic: University of Limerick/RollingNews The minister said he had been in contact with Ms Heraty's family on Monday. Ms Heraty is a member of Viatores Christi, a lay missionary organisation. The group said she was taken by armed individuals from her home at the NPFS (Nos Petits Freres et Soeurs) compound in Kenscoff on Sunday morning. 'Gena has worked in Haiti for over 30 years, dedicating her life to children and adults with disabilities through her leadership of NPFS's special needs programme,' the group said. 'Her commitment, compassion and steady presence have made a lasting difference to many families in the region. 'Our organisation has supported NPFS's work for a number of years and has seen firsthand the impact of Gena's efforts. We are in close contact with our partners on the ground and remain hopeful for her safe return. We are thinking of Gena, her family and colleagues, and the adults and children in her care. Fr John Kenny, administrator of Westport parish, said the community is 'saddened and shocked' by the kidnapping. Pic: Conor McKeown 'We ask that her privacy – and that of those closest to her – be respected as efforts continue to clarify the situation.' Fr. John Kenny, administrator of Westport parish, said the community is 'saddened and shocked' by the kidnapping. He told RTÉ Radio 1 that many people attended the weekly Monday Mass – at which Ms Heraty's sister Mary spoke – to pray for her. Fr Kenny added: '[The Mass] would have generally a small attendance. But yesterday evening, cars were everywhere. People were gathered and quietly prayed, and then met with the family afterwards. The evening was a nice evening, a quiet evening, so they had the opportunity to meet with her siblings and her extended family and console them and chat to them and reassure them of our prayers and support. Mr Harris is understood to have spoken with Haitian Foreign Minister Jean-Victor Harvel Jean-Baptiste. Pic: Florence Lo – Pool/Getty Images '[Mary] was maybe a little bit nervous to speak, because it really is on tenterhooks anything said or done or anything that would upset the situation in any way, even at this great distance, on social media and [media] coverage, you would be worried. The family are very appreciative of the support and conscious people are praying and supporting them as we can.' He described Ms Heraty as 'wonderful, generous and caring', adding: 'She's not one for the spotlight or to highlight herself. It's always the work she does that she draws attention to and the people she works with. 'Any fundraising events we support, the local schools, the local communities, are generous to her cause and the cause she works for. Reluctantly, as I said, she has to come forward to do that, but it's never for herself. It's always for the benefit of others. 'That's just the nature of the person she is, a wonderful, generous, caring, compassionate person – a great human being.' Ms Heraty survived a vicious assault while she worked at a Haitian orphanage in 2011. She was punched and hit a number of times with a hammer when men broke into the building. 'We wouldn't know all the ins and outs of what goes on there, but we are conscious that it's an area where there's a lot of unrest, and then all the storms and various terrible natural events that happen too over the years,' Fr Kenny added. 'We're worried about her physical concerns, that there will be storm damage and flooding and all kinds of things. But then, yes, the unrest and the unease of the local situation.' The Department of Foreign Affairs is providing consular assistance.
