Gang recruitment of children in Haiti: weapons, threats and testimony of a 16-year-old
A 16-year-old Haitian teenager testifies to his forced recruitment into a gang, beaten and threatened with death after refusing to confront police.
A Haitian teenager tells how a gang recruited him and then threatened him with death
News.un.org publishes the testimony of Joseph, 16, recruited by a criminal gang in Haiti at the end of August 2024, before being beaten until his hand was broken when he attempted to leave.
Joseph represents a growing number of children drawn into Haiti's gangs, a country facing a triple security, humanitarian and institutional crisis. Around 1.4 million people have been forced to flee their homes due to gang violence, and thousands of others have lost their lives.
A new UN report on Haiti calls for strengthened protection of children in communities affected by these armed groups.
"It was they who made the law in our neighbourhood"
Joseph grew up in a poor neighbourhood where gangs controlled everything. He saw armed men in the streets every day, some well dressed, owning nice cars and surrounded by women. For children in the neighbourhood, this reality was perceived as normal, given the lack of sports activities, leisure opportunities or prospects for the future.
It was a friend who introduced him to the gang, praising the money and sense of importance it provided. Joseph hesitated, aware of the danger, but eventually accepted.
A weapon handed over by the gang leader
Shortly after joining the gang, a member entrusted him with a radio to monitor police movements. Then the leader handed him a firearm.
When a major police operation was announced, Joseph was ordered to fight law enforcement. He refused, saying he wanted to go home. The gang leader became angry, beat him repeatedly with his weapon until his hand was broken, and threatened him with death if he left the group.
An escape and care in September 2024
Despite his fear of confronting police, Joseph managed to escape shortly afterwards. A member of his community directed him to an organisation capable of providing him with medical care and support. He contacted them in September 2024.
Since then, he has benefited from psychological monitoring and support to overcome the trauma he experienced within the gang.
The UN report emphasises that cases like Joseph's illustrate the urgency of a coordinated response to protect Haitian children from the recruitment mechanisms put in place by armed gangs.
Source: Google News HT — Crime