By Judelor Louis Charles, Vant Bèf Info (VBI), Feb. 17, 2025
The tragedy of Eliana Thélémaque illustrates the extreme violence that is plaguing Haiti, as well as the total abandonment of victims by the institutions that are supposed to protect them. This young mother saw her two-year-old child ripped from her arms and thrown alive into a fire by bandits in Kenscoff. Traumatized, wandering without help for two weeks, she finally succumbed to the trauma and indifference.
Found in distress at Delmas 103, Eliana Thélémaque was unrecognizable: emaciated, silent, with a blank stare. “It was as if she was already dead inside,” said a resident. Despite attempts to help her, she breathed her last at the Pétion-Ville police station.
A silence that scandalizes
Neither the Ministry for Women's Affairs nor human rights organizations have spoken out to denounce this crime or offer their support. "Where are those who claim to defend women and children?" asks a feminist activist from Port-au-Prince.
Citizens are also expressing their anger at the state's inaction. "We are told not to get used to violence, but how can we do that when the authorities remain silent?" asks a resident of Pétion-Ville.
A crime not to be forgotten
The story of Eliana Thélémaque is a symbol of impunity and the failure of the protection system in Haiti. Her fate must not be relegated to the rank of a simple tragedy among many others. This tragedy must increase collective awareness for other mothers experiencing trauma to prevent them from dying, not only from violence, but also from abandonment.
Translated by CHIP editors
Posted Feb. 18, 2025