International assistance and sexual exploitation have, sadly, often long gone hand in hand; during the 90s, I was one of the reporters who broke the story of widespread misconduct by UN peacekeepers, while Anna worked on a seminal report on the issue with the charismatic Jordanian UN ambassador Prince Zeid.
At the time, the scandal was used as a convenient stick with which to beat the UN by its detractors in the United States – although that same country subsequently led opposition to UN efforts to create a more effective disciplinary system. The UN has nonetheless, within its limited powers to control the troops of member states, implemented an official ‘no tolerance’ policy, and the rules in Haiti appear quite strict – we quickly learn a long list of no go zones, such as certain bars, where officials may not tread.
But the UN has no monopoly on such practices. Abuses are rampant wherever powerful people from rich countries find themselves in proximity with the poor, and it comes as no surprise to discover this piece in the Windsor Star (thanks to Povertynewsblog for finding it).
Youth who claims he was abused by a Canadian sex worker - according to the Windsor Star
“He was 16, and like most Haitian teens, surviving on street smarts. One day, he accepted a job helping a humanitarian aid worker carry supplies to his home.
‘After I finished he asked me to come back for a talk,’ recalled the man, now 23, speaking Creole through an interpreter. The aid worker offered him money for sex, the man alleges, and a relationship began.
‘It was to pay for school for me. That was the main reason. If you do it for me I pay for school.’”
“Mission sex — it’s Haiti’s dirty little secret.
The western world’s poorest country is, according to one aid worker, a “perfect storm” of socio-economic conditions for abuse by visiting humanitarians. It’s tropical temperatures and breathtaking natural beauty are easily, and cheaply, accessible from North America. Heavily dependent on foreign aid and with virtually no regulation of its schools and orphanages, Haiti’s justice system is ill-equipped to deal with a rising tide of sex tourism.”
Sex tourism appears to have been fairly prevalent in Haiti during the Duvalier era, but took a dip after the Aids epidemic – and subsequent (misguided) claims that Haiti had exported Aids to the US. Most likely, it was the other way round.
A couple of recent cases serve as a reminder it remains a serious issue, and might become more so as Haiti grows a little more stable. Most disturbingly, two priests are separately facing sexual abuse charges:
John Duarte, 43, former leader of the Windsor-based Hearts Together For Haiti, was recently arrested by Dominican authorities on a warrant issued in Canada, on charges of sexually abusing teenage Haitian boys – according to the Windsor Star. Douglas Perlitz, 39, was indicted in September by a grand jury in Fairfield County, Connecticut, and faces 10 counts related to the sexual abuse of nine boys for about a decade, CNN reported.
Joao Jose Correira Duarte, a former Windsor priest, is now facing extradition to Canada, where he's expected to face 12 charges in the sexual abuse of Haitian youths, age 12 to 17, the Immigration Office and National Drug Control Directorate said in a statement sent to Canwest News Service. Photograph by: Handout, CNS Source Windsor Star
One is left wondering about the religious sector in general.
Despite the Catholic priest scandals of the past decade, there have not been any major studies of missionary work. One suspects the vast majority of such work – as with that of UN staff – is well-intentioned. But wherever power is wielded without scrutiny, abuses occur.
There are countless missions in Haiti, largely – one suspects – unwatched. It might be a valuable endeavour to take a closer look.
No comments:
Post a Comment