Lawyers Praise New Report For Demonstrating Challenges, Promise in Fighting Gender-Based Violence in Haiti

Boston — The Institute for Justice & Democracy in Haiti (IJDH) welcomes the publication of Beyond Shock: Charting the Post-Quake Landscape of Sexual Violence in Haiti-Progress, Challenges and Emerging Trends. The report, issued by the Poto Fanm+Fi Coalition, is an important advance in the fight for justice for victims of sexual and other gender-motivated violence in Haiti.

According to IJDH’s Director, Brian Concannon Jr., “Beyond Shock not only explains the obstacles to justice for victims of rape and other gender violence, it recognizes the successful efforts to overcome those obstacles by activists, judicial officials and lawyers. By clearly articulating the problems and demonstrating the solutions, the report helps show the way to comprehensive, sustainable improvement in the way that survivors of sexual violence are treated by the justice system.”
IJDH also notes that Beyond Shock shows the central role that grassroots women’s organizations are playing in the fight for justice, by engaging with political leaders, the judicial system, police and the media.

The Institute is also encouraged by the reports’ identification of concrete, achievable reforms to improve the justice system’s handling of sexual violence cases. Significantly, the report highlights the dire consequences of Haiti’s complete ban on abortion and the importance of impending legal reforms to that would decriminalize abortion in limited circumstances like rape.