Haitian Boy, Raped by UN Troops, Gets Little Help from UN

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Place d’Armes, the square in the middle of Haiti’s northern city of Gonaives, is alive with merchants and groups of friends gathered in patches of shade to rest and socialize.

But one area is less populated – a stretch of brick littered with bundles of razor wire and piles of garbage.

“That’s where it happened, over there,” says my companion.

A contingent of Pakistani peacekeepers – a UN police unit – used to have a post here. They’ve since cleared out, though Argentinian peacekeepers now occupy a base at the other end of town.

And it’s here, in early 2012, that local youths reported they witnessed the rape of a 14-year-old mentally disabled boy by UN police in an official vehicle.

Some in the Place d’Armes have forgotten. For others, the story is still vivid.

This report was prepared in partnership with PRI’s The World.

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Amy Bracken

Amy Bracken is a Boston-based freelance journalist who covers migration and all things Haitian.

Latest posts by Amy Bracken (see all)

• Haitian Boy, Raped by UN Troops, Gets Little Help from UN - Oct 8, 2014
• UN Peacekeepers in Haiti Leave Children Behind - Aug 29, 2014