Explosion of Serious Violations Against Minors, Government Inaugurates Child Rehabilitation Center in the South

PORT-AU-PRINCE – Counselor-President Leslie Voltaire inaugurated this Saturday, December 13, 2025, in the Southern region of Haiti, the first component of a new national system for the care of vulnerable children. This initiative, presented as a structural response to the acute crisis affecting minors, comes as authorities report an alarming 500% increase in serious violations recorded against children in 2025 compared to the previous year. A Tripolar System Facing a National Crisis The inaugurated center constitutes the Southern pole of a tripolar system of rehabilitation homes. This project, jointly led by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Labor (MAST) and the Institute of Social Welfare and Research (IBESR), also aims to cover the Western and Northern regions. Its objective is to meet the needs of children in highly precarious situations or in conflict with the law, a population whose vulnerability has been exacerbated by the multidimensional crisis affecting the country. In his address, Counselor-President Leslie Voltaire presented a severe assessment, identifying children as « among the first victims of armed violence ». He emphasized that many minors find themselves associated, by force or under duress, with armed groups, thus exposing them to various forms of abuse, exploitation, and depriving them of their fundamental rights, such as access to education and a secure environment. Figures Illustrating Rapid Deterioration To support his point, Mr. Voltaire revealed a shocking figure: 2,269 serious violations against children were recorded for the year 2025 alone. This figure represents a 500% increase compared to 2024, illustrating, according to him, « the rapid deterioration of the situation ». Although the precise nature of these violations was not detailed, this term generally encompasses, within the framework of children's rights, acts such as murders, mutilations, recruitment by armed groups, sexual violence, kidnappings, or attacks on schools and hospitals. An Approach Focused on Protection and Reintegration Given this assessment, the new rehabilitation homes are presented as a key instrument of public policy. They must offer adapted support and aim for the social reintegration of children affected by violence. The Counselor-President insisted that children must be considered victims and not responsible for the situations they endure, a vision that, according to him, must guide all state intervention. Mr. Voltaire also assured that the funding for the activities planned in these centers is already secured, without further specifying the source or amount. Finally, he called on all involved stakeholders to define, for each child in care, an individualized support plan based on their specific needs. This inauguration marks a stated will of the transitional authorities to place child protection, particularly for the most marginalized children, at the heart of state action, in a context where violence and the collapse of social services endanger an entire generation.