Haiti: IACHR expresses concern over persistent sexual violence against women, girls, and adolescents

December 19, 2025

Washington, D.C. The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) expresses its extreme concern about the persistence and worsening of sexual violence against women, girls, and adolescents in Haiti. With the support of international actors, the State must strengthen its capacity to ensure the protection of survivors and prevent further rights violations.  

Between 2023 and 2024, United Nations agencies recorded an alarming 1,000% increase in cases of sexual violence, most of them against women, girls, and adolescents. Gang rape has become a more widespread phenomenon, with the ages of both perpetrators and victims decreasing. Although sexual violence continues to be underreported due to fear of reprisals, between January and June 2025, at least 1,000 rapes were documented, including gang rapes and cases of sexual slavery, particularly in areas controlled by armed groups.

As informed during a thematic hearing on impunity of sexual violence against women and girls in Haiti, such acts of violence are perpetrated in contexts marked by the absence or limited presence of the state. This violence specifically targets women and girls as an expression of gender discrimination and as a means of exercising territorial and population control. Rape is also used to humiliate the victims. Because of the disruption of security and justice systems, survivors do not have access to institutions capable of providing comprehensive care services, protection measures, and effective mechanisms for justice and reparation. These deficits contribute to structural impunity and the breakdown of rule of law which perpetuates violence against women.

Furthermore, it is estimated that more than 1.4 million people have been internally displaced, more than half of whom are children. Although temporary shelters have been set up, women, girls, and adolescents continue to be exposed to high risks of sexual violence because these spaces are overcrowded and lack services to protect against sexual violence. In this context, in May, the death of a six-year-old girl was reported after she was raped in a temporary displacement site.

The American Declaration of the Rights and Duties of Man establishes that States must prevent and eradicate acts of violence against women, including those committed by private individuals. Similarly, the American Convention on Human Rights obliges States to act with due diligence in the prevention, investigation, punishment, and redress of sexual violence against women, girls, and adolescents, especially in contexts of insecurity or control by non-State actors. This implies adopting differentiated, immediate, and effective measures that guarantee the comprehensive protection of survivors and access to specialized services to reduce the consequences of rape.

The IACHR urges the international community to work urgently with the Haitian State to implement prevention and protection measures and to guarantee access to health services and legal assistance for survivors of sexual violence, especially in areas where temporary camps are located. It also urges the State to strengthen mechanisms for safe reporting, which is a first step in conducting diligent investigations to identify and punish those responsible and thus overcome the impunity that characterizes these cases.

The Commission reiterates its call to the international community to give the appropriate and urgent attention to sexual violence which is restricting the lives of all women and girls in Haiti. The international community should work with the State and civil society organizations to develop and implement immediate measures that improve the protection of the civilian population, strengthen the rule of law, and guarantee the security and fundamental rights of the Haitian people.

The IACHR is a principal and autonomous organ of the Organization of American States (OAS), whose mandate derives from the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. The Inter-American Commission has the mandate to promote the observance and defense of human rights in the region and acts as an advisory body to the OAS in this field. The IACHR is composed of seven independent members elected by the OAS General Assembly in their personal capacities, and they do not represent their countries of origin or residence.

The IACHR is a principal and autonomous body of the Organization of American States (OAS), whose mandate stems from the OAS Charter and the American Convention on Human Rights. The Inter-American Commission has the mandate to promote the observance and defense of human rights in the region and acts as an advisory body to the OAS on the matter. The IACHR is made up of seven independent members who are elected by the OAS General Assembly in their personal capacity, and do not represent their countries of origin or residence.

No. 277/25

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