Displaying items by tag: Gena Heraty

Irish lay missionary Gena Heraty, who has served in Haiti for three decades, has been freed after nearly a month of captivity. She and several others, including a three-year-old child with a disability, were kidnapped during an armed gang attack on an orphanage outside Port-au-Prince. The NGO with which Heraty works, expressed profound gratitude for the release, saying the hostages are safe, receiving medical and psychological care, and reunited with their families. Heraty’s family issued a heartfelt statement thanking everyone, locally and internationally, who helped secure her freedom, and they requested privacy as she recovers. The case underscores Haiti’s worsening security crisis, with gangs now controlling an estimated 85% of the capital. Kidnappings remain rampant, with the UN reporting nearly 350 abductions in just the first half of 2025.