AMERICA/HAITI - Lay missionary kidnapped during armed attack on orphanage released after a month

Port-au-Prince (Agenzia Fides) – After nearly a month of captivity, the Irish lay missionary Gena Heraty, who has been working in Haiti for thirty years, was freed along with the other hostages captured during the attack on an orphanage near Kenscoff, near Port-au-Prince (see Fides, 5/8/2025).

The NGO "Nuestros pequeños hermanos" (NPH), for which the missionary works, announced this with "deep gratitude and a relief that cannot be described in words."

No further details of the release were provided. It was confirmed that the freed hostages "are all safe, receiving medical and psychological care, and are with their families." Among those freed is the three-year-old child with a disability.

In a statement, the missionary's family also thanked everyone who "contributed to her release. We are deeply grateful to everyone in Haiti and internationally who worked tirelessly during these terrible weeks to ensure her safe return."

"The worldwide outpouring of sympathy, love, prayers, and solidarity shown to Gena and us by friends, neighbors, communities, colleagues, and even people with no connection to us have been a tremendous source of comfort and support," the statement continued, concluding with a request from the family members to prioritize the missionary's "health and privacy": "We ask the media to respect her need for privacy while everyone involved recovers from this traumatic experience. We continue to hold Haiti in our hearts and hope for peace and safety for all those affected by the ongoing armed violence and insecurity in the country."
According to the Haitian daily newspaper "Le Nouvelliste," members of a gang are said to be responsible for the attack on the orphanage. According to the United Nations, gangs and armed groups control about 85% of the capital, Port-au-Prince. Also according to the United Nations, nearly 350 people were kidnapped in Haiti in the first half of 2025 alone. (F.B.) (Agenzia Fides, 1/9/2025)

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