- Title: Haitian NGO demands justice for women abused by Chilean soldiers
- Date: 23rd December 2019
- Summary: SANTIAGO, CHILE (DECEMBER 23, 2019) (REUTERS) NEWS CONFERENCE BY SPOKESPERSON OF SOCIO-CULTURAL ORGANIZATION OF HAITIANS IN CHILE, HAITIANS WOMEN IN CHILE, AND CHILEAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION SPOKESPERSON OF SOCIO-CULTURAL ORGANIZATION OF HAITIANS IN CHILE, EMMANUEL SIMEUS, AT NEWS CONFERENCE SPOKESPERSON OF HAITIAN WOMEN IN CHILE, WIRLINE JEAN, AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PRESIDENT OF CHILEAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, CARLOS MARGOTTA, SAYING: "We have considered it necessary, as the Chilean Human Rights Commission, to accompany the Haitian migrant associations that are demanding truth and justice regarding these serious facts. This must be clarified fully and completely and impunity for these serious crimes must be prevented. " (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) HAITIAN WOMEN IN CHILE ORGANIZATION SPOKESPERSON, WIRLINE JEAN, SAYING: "Today, we decided to raise our voice against this type of sexual violence and abuse of which our compatriots are victims. And for that, we demand that the cases of Chilean soldiers involved be investigated". SPOKESMAN OF SOCIO-CULTURAL ORGANIZATION OF HAITIANS IN CHILE, EMMANUEL SIMEUS, AT NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) HAITIAN WOMEN IN CHILE ORGANIZATION SPOKESPERSON, WIRLINE JEAN, SAYING: "Reparations for the victims must be made, particularly girls, boys and adolescents, and their mothers. Paternity tests must be carried out for the 8.7% of the children that are sons and daughters of MINUSTAH (troops) in Cap-Haïtien. And those responsible must pay with the maximum penalties for the acts committed". (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) PRESIDENT OF CHILEAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION, CARLOS MARGOTTA, SAYING: "As the Chilean Human Rights Commission, we will accompany Haitian organizations in pursuit of these noble and necessary objectives, find truth and justice. And, we are going to demand, together with them, an impartial and independent investigation be carried out by Chilean courts. The army must cooperate in this investigation, they must deliver all the information that is required for the full and total clarification of these facts, given their gravity."
- Embargoed: 6th January 2020 18:19
- Keywords: Chile Haiti United Nations peacekeepers sexually abused soldiers
- Location: SANTIAGO, CHILE / CAP-HAITIEN, HAITI
- City: SANTIAGO, CHILE / CAP-HAITIEN, HAITI
- Country: Chile
- Topics: Government/Politics,United Nations
- Reuters ID: LVA001BB7669Z
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Haitian Non-Governmental Organizations on Monday (December 23) demanded justice for women and girls that were sexually abused and impregnated by Chilean soldiers that participated as United Nations peace-keepers in the Caribbean country.
The organizations requested the Chilean government carry out an impartial and independent investigation through the country's courts.
A study of the U.N. Stabilization Mission in Haiti revealed that U.N. peacekeepers abused more than two thousand women in Haiti and left hundreds of children.
The study includes stories of transactional sex, in which women received "small amounts of money in exchange for sex" and in other cases, women and girls received food in exchange for sex.
The spokeswoman of Haitians Women in Chile, Wirline Jean, asked the government to provide reparations to the victims and demanded paternity tests to confirm that Minustah soldiers are the fathers of hundreds of children.
The report states U.N. personnel from more than a dozen countries were involved, although the majority of those listed are from Brazil and Uruguay. The investigation also suggested that most soldiers were repatriated once the pregnancy was known, in most cases leaving the child without assistance.
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