Irish missionary among nine kidnapped from Haitian orphanage

Gena Heraty, who is reported to have been kidnapped from an orphanage in Haiti. University of Limerick

Haiti

Irish missionary among nine kidnapped from Haitian orphanage

Gena Heraty, who has lived in Haiti since 1993, runs the orphanage which cares for up to 270 children.

9.23am, 4 Aug 2025

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LAST UPDATE | 17 mins ago

AN IRISHWOMAN IS among nine people kidnapped from an orphanage near the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince yesterday, officials have said.

The victims were taken from the Sainte-Helene orphanage in the commune of Kenscoff, about 10km southeast of the capital.

Among them was Gena Heraty, an Irish missionary who oversees the orphanage – operated by the humanitarian organisation “Nos Petits Freres et Soeurs” (“Our Little Brothers and Sisters”).

A three-year-old child and seven employees were also taken, according to Kenscoff Mayor Masillon Jean and a separate source close to the organisation.

“The attackers broke into the orphanage around 3:30am [local time] without opening fire,” Jean said, calling it a “planned act.”

“They broke through a wall to enter the property before heading to the building where the director was staying, leaving with nine hostages.”

No demands or ransom requests have been made, though Heraty called the organisation early Sunday to confirm she was among the kidnapped, a source close to the organisation told news organisation AFP.

Heraty has lived in Haiti since 1993. Originally from Westport, Co Mayo, she graduated from UL with a BBS degree in 1991.

“My first job was as a volunteer with the Simon Community in Dublin” she recalled to University of Limerick, of which she is an alum, “and that’s where I really became interested in the overseas voluntary work of Our Little Brothers and Sisters charity”.

What started as a six-month placement in Haiti in 1993 turned into a lifetime commitment led Heraty to dedicate herself to the orphanage which she now runs. It cares for up to 270 children.

Her sister and brother-in-law are on the Faculty at the Kemmy Business School at UL.

She is the latest foreign missionary to become the victim of kidnapping in Haiti.

A spokesperson for the Department of Foreign Affairs said that the department is aware of the case and is proving consular assistance.

In April 2021, two French priests were among ten people kidnapped in Croix des Bouquets before they were released nearly three weeks later.

The same group behind that kidnapping, the “400 Mawazo” gang, took a group of 17 American and Canadian missionaries hostage six months later.

Since the start of this year, Kenscoff has found itself in the crosshairs of the “Viv Ansanm” (“Living Together”) gang, which has already taken control of several other localities.