“Devastated” family after a kidnapped woman in Haiti

The family of an Irish Kidnapped of an orphanage in Haiti said that it was “absolutely devastated” and described the situation as “deeply disturbing”.

Gena Heraty, the director of the establishment, was one of several people from the private orphanage in Sainte-Hélène in Kenscoff, near the capital of Haiti, Port-au-Prince, Sunday morning, according to Mayor Massillon Jean.

Her spells are unknown because she, as well as seven employees and a child, have been drawn from the orphanage, who takes care of more than 250 children.

There are intensive efforts to guarantee their release, said the Irish government.

Ms. Heraty, from Westport in the county of Mayo, supervises the orphanage, which is led by the humanitarian organization our little brothers and sisters (our little brothers and sisters-NPFS), in the town of Kenscoff, about 10 km south-east of the capital, Port-au-Prince.

The attackers burst into the orphanage around 3.30 p.m. local time (07:30 GMT) “without opening fire,” said Mayor Massillon Jean, describing it as a “planned act”.

The attackers had blocked a wall to get into the property, said Jean, before heading for the building where Ms. Heraty remained.

It is believed that gang members are responsible for the attack, reported the Nouvelliste.

In a statement, Ms. Heraty’s family said she was “absolutely devastated”, describing the situation as “evolving and deeply disturbing”.

“We are working closely with NPF (our little brothers and sisters) in Haiti and Ireland, the Irish government and the international partners who do everything possible to ensure the safe and immediate release of Gena and her colleagues.

“Out of respect for the current efforts and for the security of Gena, we are unable to share more details at the moment,” said the family’s statement.

Tánaist (Irish Deputy Prime Minister) and the Minister of Foreign Affairs Simon Harris had talks overnight with his Haitian counterpart concerning the kidnapping.

Harris said he had asked the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Haiti, Harvel Jean-Baptiste, “that everything is done to ensure the release of Gena and other hostages”.

Gang violence and kidnappings are also common in other regions in Port-au-Prince, where the UN says that armed groups control around 85% of the city.

In the first half of 2025, UN figures show that nearly 350 people were kidnapped in Haiti. At least 3,141 people were also killed during the same period, said the United Nations Human Rights Office.

NPH International, a charitable organization that works with orphaned children, abandoned and vulnerable in Latin America and the Caribbean, also called for the release of the hostages and said that he could do everything to bring them home safely.

Tommy Marren, who is presenter of Midwest radio in Mayo county and knows that Gena Heraty described her as “passionate, altruistic and resilient” and said that she was considered in the county of Mayo as “a saint living”.

“He is a devoted and faithful person who takes care of some of the most vulnerable in society,” he said.

“Last night, in a small parish church in Cushlough, where she grew up, the parish priest said that everything that people could do now is to pray and hope that it will have a positive result.

“Gena’s family is absolutely distraught and devastated.”

Harold Isaac, who is a journalist in Port-au-Prince, BBC Radio Ulster on Tuesday on the Good Morning Ulster program that “negotiations are continuing through various people involved to try to guarantee their release”.

“About 80 to 90% of the capital, Port-au-Prince, is in a form of gang control,” he said.

“It was a continuous situation for the entire metropolitan region in recent years, but it has worsened in recent months, while the authorities have struggled to regain control of the situation.

“The district where the orphanage has been under the assault of gangs in the past six months, and this attack really does not recall how fragile the situation is.”