Haitian Children Forced Into Gangs and Sexual Violence Amid Crisis, Amnesty International Finds in New Report

Haiti's children are increasingly trapped in a cycle of gang violence, forced into recruitment, sexual exploitation, and deadly crossfire, according to a new report by Amnesty International.

The organization found that 30% to 50% of gang members are now children, with many coerced into joining due to hunger or fear. Nearly two million people in Haiti are on the verge of starvation, and over one million children live in gang-controlled areas, where 85% of Port-au-Prince is under gang rule.

"Gangs have caused widespread distress in Haiti," said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International's Secretary General in a statement. "They threaten, beat, rape, and kill children. They have committed multiple abuses of children's rights, including the rights to life, to education, and to freedom of movement."

The report, based on 112 interviews conducted from May to October 2023, reveals that children are forced to carry weapons, spy on rivals, and run errands for gangs. Refusal often results in death threats to them or their families.

Sexual violence against girls is rampant, with gang members collectively raping and abducting them. Amnesty International documented 18 cases of rape, including two sisters abducted on their way home from school. Many girls became pregnant and faced limited access to healthcare in a country where abortion is criminalized.

Children are also caught in the crossfire of gang violence. A 14-year-old girl recounted how a ricocheting bullet pierced her lip in September 2024, three months after her 17-year-old brother was killed by a stray bullet. "I lost a huge presence in my life. Since then, I don't know how to be happy," she said.

Children with disabilities face heightened risks, often forced to abandon assistive devices during gang attacks. Amnesty International interviewed 11 children with disabilities, highlighting the lack of accessible shelters and services.

The report calls on the Haitian government and international community to take urgent action. "The international community cannot continue to make empty promises," the report states. "Haiti needs immediate and sustained technical and financial assistance to rescue a generation of boys and girls from being lost to repeated cycles of gang violence."

Amnesty International also urges the creation of specialized judicial chambers to address impunity, the demobilization and reintegration of children associated with gangs, and comprehensive support for survivors of sexual violence. "Programs to effectively demobilize and reintegrate children associated with gangs, as well as to provide comprehensive health and legal assistance to survivors of sexual violence, are a priority," said Callamard.