LAST UPDATE | 29 Aug

GENA HERATY, the Irish missionary in Haiti who was kidnapped by a violent gang, has been released.

Gena, who is originally from Co Mayo, was abducted along with seven others, including a three-year-old child, from the Sainte-Hélène orphanage in Kenscoff, Haiti on 3 August last.

The Heraty family confirmed the news in a statement. 

The Sainte-Helene orphanage, which she oversaw, is located in Kenscoff, 10km southeast of Port-au-Prince.

Haiti has a major problem with gang violence and the abductions were carried out by a powerful criminal organisation that has seized control of much of Kenscoff.

The country has suffered multiple social and political collapses since a long-running dictatorship ended in the 1980s and was further destabilised by the disastrous earthquake of 2010.

Humanitarians say the situation has escalated significantly over the last five years, growing even worse than before over the last several months of this year alone.

In a statement today the Heraty family said they were “delighted to share” that their loved one and “all those taken with her” had been released. 

“We are relieved beyond words. We are so deeply grateful to everyone, in Haiti and internationally, who has worked tirelessly over these terrible weeks to help secure their safe return.

“In particular we would like to acknowledge the support of an Tánaiste Simon Harris, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and his team at the Department of Foreign Affairs, including Geraldine Byrne Nason, Ambassador of Ireland to the United States of America.

“The global outpouring of concern, love, prayers, and solidarity shown for Gena and to us by friends, neighbours, communities, colleagues, and indeed those with no connection to us at all has been a huge source of comfort and support,” the statement said. 

The family concluded by saying that they were focused on helping Gena Heraty deal with the aftermath of the traumatic experience. 

“For now our priority is Gena – her health, protection, and privacy – and those in her care. We kindly ask that the media respect the need for privacy as all those involved recover from this traumatic ordeal.

“We continue to hold Haiti in our hearts and hope for peace and safety for all those who are affected by the ongoing armed violence and insecurity there,” they added. 

Tánaiste Simon Harris, who is Minister for Foreign Affairs spoke of his “delight” in a statement also. 

“We warmly welcome the news that Gena and all of the Haitian nationals taken captive on 3 August, including a small child, have been released and are reported to be safe and well.

“This is the outcome we had all hoped for and I want to sincerely thank all those who played a part in securing their release, including Gena’s colleagues at Nos Petits Freres et Soeurs, the local community representatives, Haitian authorities, An Garda Síochána, our UN and European partners and the many officials in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for their tireless work to achieve this result.

“This has of course been an extraordinarily difficult and stressful situation for the Heraty family. I wish to pay tribute to their resilience and determination to support Gena and her fellow captives over these past difficult weeks,” he said. 

Taoiseach Micheál Martin also said he “warmly welcomed” Heraty’s release along with her fellow captives.

“I’m delighted for her family, who must be greatly relieved at this news,” he said, while also praising the efforts of Harris, ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason and the staff at the Department of Foreign Affairs. 

The Tánaiste also paid tribute to Gena Heraty for her humanitarian work. 

“Gena is a respected humanitarian and deeply courageous person who has dedicated her life to supporting the most vulnerable people in Haiti. This is a timely moment to recognise the work of all Irish humanitarians and missionaries working in challenging contexts and providing life-saving support in Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine and beyond. While we welcome this news, it is also important that we do not lose sight of the challenges facing the people of Haiti.

“I now send Gena, her family and all those released my very best wishes. We will continue to provide all possible support as they recover from their terrible ordeal,” he added. 

Taoiseach Micheál Martin also welcomed the release of Gena Heraty and the other captives in Haiti. 

The Kenscoff area has been scene to heavy fighting in recent days. There has also been attacks on telecommunications equipment where gangs have sought to control the hillside area some 10 kilometres from Port au Prince.