Human Rights Report Blames Police Lapses for Deadly Kenscoff Gang Massacre
A new report by the National Human Rights Defense Network details a recent gang massacre in Kenscoff, blaming police inaction and security gaps for the high death toll.
The National Human Rights Defense Network released a comprehensive account of the August gang assault on Kenscoff, a once-peaceful community outside Port-au-Prince, where at least 164 people were killed, over 70 kidnapped and dozens remain missing. Drawing on testimony from judges, police officials, armed civilians, a former police station head and more than 100 victims or relatives, the report says that a prompt strengthening of security could have averted the massacre, yet police presence was cut by 60% and armored trucks requested were ignored.
It documents how armed groups employed surveillance drones, road-blocking tree trunks and brutal tactics, including beheading a school principal and gouging a police worker’s eyes. The group criticises what it calls police passivity and the limited visibility of a UN-backed gang suppression force. It urges the Haitian government to provide financial, medical and psychological support to the victims’ families. The mayor of Kenscoff has warned that drone activity and threatening videos continue to loom over the town.
Why it matters
The findings expose severe security failures that allowed a mass killing, highlighting urgent needs for reform and aid in Haiti.
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