dimanche 25 octobre 2009

DOUGLAS PERLITZ : GOVERNMENT'S MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF MOTION TO DETAIN

IN THE UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT
FOR THE DISTRICT OF CONNECTICUT
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA :
::
v. : 3:09CR207(JBA)(JGM)
::
DOUGLAS PERLITZ : OCTOBER 9, 2009
GOVERNMENT'S MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF MOTION TO DETAIN
The Government moves for pretrial detention of the
defendant because he is a sexual predator who has used a
charitable institution that he himself founded to gain access
to an incredibly vulnerable population street children in
Haiti - for a ten-year period of time so that he could
sexually molest those children. Given the presumption of
detention under the law because the charges involve crimes of
violence against minors, the length of time that the defendant
has engaged in abusing children, the manner in which he
accessed the children, the level of control and manipulation
he has maintained over individuals in Haiti (some of which is
outlined in the Indictment) where the abuse occurred, the
victims that he targeted, his access to millions of dollars of
donated monies, his demonstrated willingness to live in one of
the poorest countries in the world, and his extensive travel
over the last ten years even though his own personal income
was relatively low, there are simply no conditions of release
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that can assure the safety of children in the community and
his appearance in Court.


I. BACKGROUND
On September 15, 2009, a federal grand jury returned an
Indictment charging Douglas Perlitz with seven (7) counts of
traveling with the intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct,
in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. § 2423(b), and three (3)
counts of engaging in illicit sexual conduct in foreign places
in violation of Title 18 U.S.C. § 2423(c). The charges are
based on allegations that Perlitz sexually abused nine boys in
Haiti over a ten-year period of time.

The Indictment charges that in or about 1997, Perlitz
founded Project Pierre Toussaint ("PPT") which was established as
a boys school in Cap-Haitien, Haiti, located on the North Coast
of Haiti. PPT provided services to street children of all ages.
The staff of the intake center included American volunteers who
received a small stipend for their work as well as Haitians who
were involved with a variety of day to day operations.
In or about 1999, The Haiti Fund, Inc. (the Haiti Fund), was
incorporated as a charitable, religious and educational
organization and operated as the fund-raising arm of PPT. The
members of the board of the Haiti Fund were all individually
chosen by a close friend and influential religious leader who had
Case 3:09-cr-00207-JBA Document 4 Filed 10/07/2009 Page 2 of 16

1 The term boys and children is used interchangeably in
this memo. Many of the boys or children have now reached the age
of majority. The allegations of abuse, however, occurred when
they were under 18 years of age.
3
met and befriended Perlitz while Perlitz attended college in
Connecticut.

Over 2 million dollars was transferred from the Haiti Fund
to an account that Perlitz controlled in Haiti. These monies did
not include other significant capital expenses and other expenses
that were directly paid by the Haiti Fund for PPT. In addition,
it has recently come to light that there may have been funds
raised on behalf of the Haiti Fund that cannot be accounted for.

While Perlitz was the director of PPT, Perlitz appears to be
the only individual with access to, and control over, the monies
that were sent to Haiti by the Haiti Fund. Perlitz had access to
an enormous sum of money by Haitian (and American) standards and
thus far there does not appear to be an accurate accounting of
what happened to these monies.

Moreover, many witnesses, including the children who have
informed authorities that they were sexually abused by Perlitz,
and others have provided statements regarding the sums of cash
that Perlitz was constantly carrying around with him. The boys1
who are victims identified in this case have notified ICE agents
and others that Perlitz used the money to control them, to gain
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access to them, and to entice them so that he could sexually
abuse them.

All of the children who are identified as victims in the
Indictment have been personally interviewed both by the National
Haitian Police ("HNP") as well as ICE agents in 2009 as part of
ICE's investigation. All of them have stated their willingness
to come to the United States to testify. In fact, the Government
has obtained video-taped statements from many of the boys. While
some of the boys are currently over 18 years of age, the
allegations of sexual abuse charged in the Indictment occurred
prior to any victim turning 18. ICE agents have also interviewed
other individuals including Haitian staff and American volunteers
who have spoken directly to children. Some of the other adult
individuals who worked at PPT (both Haitian and American) have
confirmed that the children told them about the sexual abuse that
Perlitz inflicted upon them.

ICE agents have also spoken directly with the members of the
HNP who conducted a separate investigation in early 2008.
Members of HNP confirmed that they spoke directly to children
during their investigation. Significantly, many more than the
nine children reported to HNP that they were sexually abused by
Perlitz. It does appear that the Haitian Government has issued a
provisional arrest warrant for Perlitz.
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Moreover, in the Spring of 2008, the Haiti Fund hired a
private firm in Haiti to investigate the allegations of sexual
abuse of children by Perlitz. The report indicates that some
children reported being abused by Perlitz and others reported
that they were not abused by him. At least one of the
individuals that the private firm spoke to is an identified
victim in the Government's case. That individual reported to the
private security company that he was sexually abused by Perlitz.

II. LAW
Section 3142(e) of the Bail Reform Act of 1984 requires that
a defendant shall be detained pending trial if it is determined,
after a hearing, that "no condition or combination of conditions
will reasonably assure the appearance of that defendant as
required and the safety of any other person and the community..."
Indeed, the Bail Reform Act was amended on April 30, 2003,
to include a presumption of detention in most cases involving
sexual offenses against children. This amendment, which is
referred to as the Protect Act, creates a presumption of
dangerousness for individuals who, like the defendant, are
charged with violating 18 U.S.C. § 2423. Section 3142(e) further
states, "[s]ubject to rebuttal by the person, it shall be
presumed that no condition or combination of conditions will
reasonably assure the appearance of the person as required and
the safety of the community if the judicial officer finds that
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there is probable cause to believe that the person committed . .
. an offense involving a minor victim under section . . . 2423 .
. . of this title." This presumption was based in part on the
Congressional determination that "[s]ex offenders and child
molesters are four times more likely than any other violent
criminal to repeat their offenses against children. This number
demands attention, especially in light of the fact that a single
child molester on average shatters the lives of over 100
children." 149 Cong. Rec. H3066 (daily ed. Apr. 10, 2003)
(statement of Rep. James Sensenbrenner).
As set forth in the Indictment, the defendant is charged
under 18 U.S.C. 2423(b) and 2423(c) with intending to engage in,
and engaging in, illicit sexual conduct with minors in Haiti.
Moreover, a federal grand jury has already determined that there
is probable cause to believe that the defendant committed ten
crimes involving nine separate boys. As such, the United States
is entitled to a presumption under 18 U.S.C. §3142(e) "that no
condition or combination of conditions will reasonably assure the
appearance of the person as required and the safety of the
community." 18 U.S.C. 3142(e).
The burden is on Perlitz to overcome that presumption by
producing evidence to establish that there are conditions of
release which will ensure both Defendant's appearance at trial
and the safety of the community. Moreover, as explained in
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United States v. Mercedes, 254 F.3d 433, 437-38 (2d Cir. 2001),
the factors that would normally weigh in favor of release such as
citizenship and ties to the community do not overcome the
presumption against pre-trial release. See United States v.
Tomero, 169 Fed. Appx. 639, 641 (2d Cir. 2006) (citing Mercedes,
the Court held that "factors favoring release such as citizenship
and strong ties to the community do not overcome [the]
presumption again[st] pre-trial release where defendant was
charged with a violent crime and the evidence against him was
strong"); see also United States v. Hir, 517 F.3d 1081, 1086 (9th
Cir. 2008).

In evaluating whether there are conditions of release which
will ensure the appearance of Perlitz and the safety of the
community, the Court must consider:
(1) the nature and circumstances of the crimes charged;
(2) the weight of the evidence against the defendant;
(3) the history and characteristics of the defendant,
including family ties, employment, financial resources, community
ties, drug or alcohol abuse history, past conduct; and
(4) the nature and seriousness of the danger to the
community or to an individual that would be posed by release.
See 18 U.S.C. § 3142(g).
Even if a defendant has met his burden of production
relating to danger to the community and risk of flight, the
presumption favoring detention does not disappear, but "remains
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in the case as an evidentiary finding militating against release,
to be weighed along with other evidence relevant to factors
listed in § 3142(g)." Hir, 517 F.3d at 1086, citing United
States v. Dominguez, 783 F.2d 702, 707 (7th Cir. 1986).

III. DISCUSSION
As set forth herein, the Government submits that based on
the applicable law and evidence in this case, there are no
conditions or combinations of conditions that will adequately
ensure the safety of the community and deter flight. See 18
U.S.C. § 3142(g).

Danger to the Community
Perlitz has been charged with ten crimes of violence, as
that term is defined in Title 18, United States Code, §
3156(a)(4). The circumstances of these crimes portray an
individual who has set up an extensive charitable organization
with the support of influential members of a community who
provided significant financial support for him. The nature and
circumstances of the offense, along with the strength of the
evidence and seriousness of the danger posed by a man who has
acted on his sexual desires towards children, demand pretrial
incarceration of this defendant.

In this case, the defendant is accused of actual, hands-on
sexual abuse, namely with real children who are exceptionally
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vulnerable. The facts that the conduct occurred in a foreign
country, and that the children are located in a foreign country,
should provide this Court no comfort with regard to the danger he
poses to children generally. There can be no doubt that from
1998 until 2008, Perlitz was focused on children. He obtained
large sums of money to open up a boys school in Haiti. He was
the director of the school. Many witnesses have testified that
he controlled every aspect of, and everyone at, PPT. He has even
been referred to as the "King" of PPT. The children (and others,
including Americans) that have come forward to date have talked
about a hierarchy among the boys, where the boys who engaged in
sex acts with Perlitz who received protection, money and material
things while the others did not. By his own admission, discussed
below, as well as through statements from many witnesses, Perlitz
engaged in very disturbing behavior by permitting children to
constantly sleep in his bedroom with him while he was the
director of PPT.

Even after the allegations of abuse publically surfaced in
Haiti in 2007, Perlitz nevertheless returned to PPT and continued
to have boys sleep in his room. In or about April 2008, Perlitz
was directed by the Haiti Fund not to return to PPT. In July
2008, members of the HNP met with individuals from the Haiti Fund
to discuss the findings of its investigation. As noted above, in
the Spring of 2008, the Haiti Fund had separately hired a
security company to look into the allegations of the abuse.
Case 3:09-cr-00207-JBA Document 4 Filed 10/07/2009 Page 9 of 16

2 The Government notes that some of the individuals have
reached the age of majority but all of the "children" being
referred to were at one time street children who had been
enrolled at PPT.

10
Even after Perlitz was no longer permitted to return to PPT and
after he became aware that the Haiti Fund had begun an internal
investigation into the sexual abuse allegations (and that the HNP
had separately reported its findings to members of the Haiti
Fund), Perlitz nevertheless remained focused on continuing his
relationship with children2 formerly associated with PPT.

In July 2008, Perlitz was residing in Fairfield County,
Connecticut. Although he halted all further travel to Haiti
(where he may have been subject to arrest), witnesses have
confirmed that he instead began traveling to the Dominican
Republic to meet children who had previously been associated with
PPT. Travel records also confirm that Perlitz began to travel
frequently to the Dominican Republic during that latter part of
2008 (and also confirm the fact that he stopped traveling to
Haiti). See Exhibit 3.

Perlitz himself has admitted his on-going connection to a
group of boys (some who likely have reached the age of majority)
in Haiti. At the time of Perlitz's arrest (after being provided
with Miranda warnings), Perlitz made statements to ICE agents
regarding his continuing contact with children in Haiti. Perlitz
admitted to S/A Lundt that he traveled to the Dominican Republic
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as recently as March 2009 to see "his kids." He also stated that
he is in daily contact with individuals from Haiti. Perlitz
admitted speaking to "boys in Haiti." He further admitted to
receiving 17 phone calls from Haiti the day before his arrest. He
further stated to Agent Lundt that he "lost his father" when he
was only 24 years old. He went on to say that this was traumatic
for him. He stated that "molestation would be tough" but that
"victims should just get over it." He told Agent Lundt that he
"got over" his father's death and "even though it was tough he
moved on" and he said that abuse victims "need to move on and get
over it."

During a separate conversation, when discussing Perlitz's
work at PPT, Perlitz admitted to S/A Lundt "that some boundaries
were crossed and would not be condoned." When S/A Lundt asked
him what he meant by boundaries, he noted that boundaries were
crossed when he permitted children to stay overnight in his room
with him but he denied any sexual contact with these children.
Telephone records for Perlitz demonstrate frequent and
constant activity with individuals in Haiti. It appears that
Perlitz is constantly communicating with a small group of
individuals formerly associated with PPT. These individuals
communicate with Perlitz about providing them with money.
Western Union records have confirmed that beginning in 2008 and
continuing through 2009, Perlitz was sending money to a small
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group of individuals in Haiti. The Government is aware that most
of the wire transfers were to individuals formerly enrolled in
PPT.

If Perlitz was so brazen as to engage in such a long-term
scheme to access a vulnerable population and to continue to visit
with and contact individuals who were formerly street children
enrolled at PPT in light of all of the investigations surrounding
these allegations, he clearly is very focused on either
controlling these individuals or has little control over his
sexual impulses towards minors. In either case, he presents a
clear and continuing danger.

It is also worth noting that adult witnesses and children
have informed ICE agents that Perlitz had at times an incredible
temper. More importantly, two adult American witnesses have
advised that they left PPT and became afraid while they were
there because of this temper.

Even some of the most stringent release conditions, such as
electronic monitoring, would be insufficient in this case. While
electronic monitoring can often minimize the risk of flight of
defendants pending trial, it cannot adequately address the danger
posed by those with a demonstrated sexual interest in children
because electronic monitoring can only provide information on
where a defendant is, and not what he is doing. Depending on the
type of electronic monitoring used, there are various
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limitations. With radio frequency monitoring, involving an ankle
or wrist device, the location monitoring equipment only reports
when a defendant enters or leaves the equipment's range--not
where the defendant has gone or how far the participant has
traveled. Electronic monitoring reveals absolutely nothing about
the activities of the defendant, such as whether he has children
in his house or in his presence, or whether he is communicating
with minors over the Internet or via the telephone.

Risk of Flight
The crimes charged involve very serious penalties. The
strength of the evidence as outlined above, combined with the
likelihood of a significant prison sentence, provide a powerful
incentive for this defendant to flee.

With regard to the strength of the evidence, as noted above,
the Government has obtained statements from all nine boys in
Haiti regarding the sexual abuse allegations, including in many
instances video-taped statements. The HNP's investigation
corroborates that Perlitz engaged in sexual abuse of certain
children. The Haiti Fund's internal investigation corroborates
the same findings. Many adult witnesses (both Americans and
Haitians) have provided compelling evidence regarding their
concerns about Perlitz's sexual abuse.

In addition, the defendant has a history of extensive
international travel. His travel records and passport entries
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3 Exhibit 1 is a copy of two of Perlitz's passports. The
first passport was valid from July 2000 until July 2010. It
appears that in 2008 Perlitz had to obtain a second passport
because he no longer had sufficient pages for the stamps.
Therefore the second passport is valid from March 2008 until
2018. Exhibit 2 is a copy of the ICE summary showing Perlitz's
travel from April 1997 until December 2003. This summary will
only show the port of exit and the initial foreign port of entry.
It will not provide details of any further travel from the
initial port of entry nor will it show any travel direct from
Haiti to another foreign port.

4 In light of defendant's own admission regarding his
financial situation, the Government will be requesting a Curcio
hearing to determine who is paying defendant's legal fees. We
will also be asking the Court to canvass the defendant to ensure
that if the fees are being paid by anyone who is a potential
subject or witness in this case that Perlitz understands any
possible bias and waives his right to complain at a later date
that his attorneys did not act in his best interests.

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reveal significant travel. While a lot of the travel was between
the U.S. and Haiti, the defendant has also engaged in significant
other travel. See Exhibit 13 (evidencing travel to Thailand,
Bhutan, Ecuador, Myanmar, Chile, and the Dominican Republic,
among other countries). For an individual whose salary has been
quite modest, he clearly has been able to access funds to support
extensive international travel. Indeed, Perlitz has admitted to
S/A Lundt that he currently only has about $1,000.4
Further, defendant has few ties holding him in
Connecticut. Although he did travel back and forth from Haiti to
Connecticut, it appears that his purpose when returning to
Connecticut was to assist with fund-raising efforts and public
awareness for PPT. When he returned to Connecticut, he
Case 3:09-cr-00207-JBA Document 4 Filed 10/07/2009 Page 14 of 16

5 The Government will be requesting an order precluding
Perlitz from speaking with any current or former Board member of
the Haiti Fund who are all likely witnesses in this case. In
addition, the Government will request that Pertliz have no
contact with any American volunteer, staff member or any children
who had been associated with PPT in Haiti.

15
associated primarily with individuals involved with the Haiti
Fund.5 In fact, the address utilized for residency purposes was
that of a religious leader who the Government understands no
longer resides in Connecticut.

Since July 2009, Perlitz has lived and worked in Colorado.
Perlitz currently has no employment here in Connecticut.
Moreover, the fact that the U.S. Government is in possession of
his passport does not mean that he can no longer travel. ICE
agents will be able to inform the Court about the movement of
individuals across our border without valid entry or exit
documents.

IV. CONCLUSION
For the foregoing reasons, the Government requests that
its motion to detain the defendant be granted.
Respectfully submitted,
NORA R. DANNEHY
UNITED STATES ATTORNEY
/s/
KRISHNA R. PATEL
ASSISTANT UNITED STATES ATTORNEY
United States Attorney's Office
915 Lafayette Boulevard
Bridgeport, CT 06604
(203) 696-3000
Federal Bar Number ct24433
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CERTIFICATE OF SERVICE
I hereby certify that on October 7, 2009 a copy of the
foregoing Government's Memorandum in Support of Motion to Detain
was filed electronically and served by mail on anyone unable to
accept electronic filing. Notice of this filing will be sent by
e-mail to all parties by operation of the court's electronic
filing system or by mail to anyone unable to accept electronic
filing as indicated on the Notice of Electronic Filing. Parties
may access this filing through the court's CM/ECF system.
/s/________________________________


Paul Kendrick invite Konbit Sante to write to the judge about Douglas.

 
Cyrus,

As you may already know, Konbit Sante is joined in a partnership with  Justinian Hospital.

Regards,
Paul

Begin forwarded message:

From: Paul Kendrick <kendrickpt@aol.com>
Date: October 24, 2009 15:35:02 EDT
To: "info@konbitsante.org" <info@konbitsante.org>
Subject: Letter to the judge

October 24, 2009

Nate Nickerson
Executive Director
Konbit Sante
Portland, Maine

Dear Nate,

As you know from my previous letter, I am working with other advocacy groups for the purpose of keeping Douglas Perlitz in jail until such time as all the evidence and testimony has been presented at his trial.

Haitian advocates are afraid for the safety of the children who were allegedly abused by Perlitz. For the past year, Perlitz has been threatening and intimidating his former students and the witnesses.

These kids need everyone's help. It would be most helpful if Konbit Sante would formally ask the judge not to release Perlitz on bond until the trial has ended.

The bond hearing is on Wednesday, October 28th.

I have been rereading a letter sent to me by Dr. Michael Taylor, former President of Konbit Santi, on October 16, 2003.

At the time, U.S. survivor advocacy groups were calling attention to a former Catholic priest, Ron Voss, who was employed in Port au Prince by the Parish Twinning Program of the Americas. Voss is an admitted child molester who fled to Haiti in the mid 1980s when abuse allegations against him first surfaced.

At the time of Dr. Taylor's letter, I was scheduled to return to Haiti with your group for the second time in six months. I was trying to establish a partnership between the Cathedral parish in Portland and the Cathedral parish in Cap Haitian.

To my astonishmemt, the leadership of Konbit Sante rose up in opposition to my efforts to warn the Haitian community about Voss's past crimes against children.

I was stunned by your medical group's lack of knowledge and understanding about issues pertaining to child sex abuse. It was ok with Dr. Taylor if Voss continued to have unlimited access to children in a country with little law enforcement and hardly any child social service system.

Although Dr. Taylor wrote in his letter to me about his sorrow for those who were abused, he was mostly concerned about redemption for Voss, the admitted child abuser. Dr. Taylor wrote, "I would weep for Ron (Voss) if he were further rejected and banished (where to from Haiti?) and could not continue his mission to help the unfortunate in Port au Prince and through Visitation House assuming that he has been able to control his urges."

The "urges" Dr. Taylor referred to are more precisely described as the criminal rape and sodomization of children.

Last week, it was reported that a former Canadian priest has been arrested for sexually abusing children in Haiti.

The sexual abuse of children in Haiti is out of control. The press and media are now showing great interest in
this issue.

Perhaps, the past six years have provided Konbit Sante with the opportunity to better understand how devasting sexual abuse is to the healthy lives of children.

Therefore, I hope you will take a few moments to write to the judge with your request not to release Perlitz on bond.

Please let me know what you decide to do.

Sincerely,
Paul Kendrick
Freeport, Maine

Feted Fairfield alum indicted for abuse in Haiti.

Feted Fairfield alum indicted for abuse in Haiti

Oct. 13, 2009
Douglas Perlitz in 2004 (AP/The Connecticut Post/Jeff Bustraan)

A Fairfield University alumnus heralded in the past as a model product of Jesuit education was indicted last month by a federal grand jury in Connecticut for sexually abusing some of the young Haitian boys he was supposedly helping.

Douglas Perlitz, 39, who received significant contributions toward his work with youth in Haiti from the campus community and from Catholics in the Bridgeport, Conn., diocese, was indicted on seven counts of traveling outside the United States with the intent of having sex with minors and three counts of engaging in sexual conduct with minors in a foreign country. The offenses allegedly involved nine boys during a 10-year period.

Perlitz, a 1992 graduate of Fairfield, first traveled to Haiti as a volunteer during his junior year. He later returned to Haiti and in 1997 founded Project Pierre Toussaint, a home and school for Haitian boys in Cap Haitien on the country's northern coast. In 2002, Fairfield invited him to be the commencement speaker.

According to the indictment, Perlitz bribed street children with the promise of food and shelter, foreign currency, cell phones and "other benefits" in exchange for sexual acts. The indictment also charges that Perlitz showed "homosexual pornography" to children "as part of his grooming process."

"When questioned about why he permitted minors to sleep in his room," the indictment says, "Perlitz would attempt to conceal his sexual abuse of the minors by stating that it was common in Haiti for children and adults to sleep together, or he would state that the particular minor was having a lot of difficulty."

A primary supporter of the project was Jesuit Fr. Paul Carrier, director of campus ministry at Fairfield until he was abruptly moved from the position in 2006. Carrier set up the Haiti Fund Inc., the funding arm of Perlitz's project. According to the indictment, a total of $2 million was moved from the Haiti Fund to an account controlled by Perlitz. Some of it, investigators said, was used to pay boys to engage in sexual acts.

In recent weeks, Carrier had dropped from sight but the Jesuits broke their silence on his activities Oct. 1 when the New England Province of Jesuits released a statement saying the province was cooperating with the U.S. attorney regarding Carrier's whereabouts.

The statement also said that Carrier "currently has no assignment and is not performing any public ministry."

Paul Kendrick, a Fairfield alumnus and an advocate for victims of sexual abuse, said he was unable to get any information on Carrier despite repeated queries to the New England Province. Kendrick had traveled to Haiti and visited Perlitz's operation in April 2003. Perlitz was not present at the time of his visit, Kendrick said in a recent phone interview with NCR, but Kendrick said he was impressed with the operation. But when allegations surfaced about the project, Kendrick pressed the Jesuits for answers about Carrier, who, he said, had visited the school and homes in Haiti frequently.

Carrier, now identified in news reports as the "religious leader" referred to in the indictment, selected the Haiti Fund's board, whose members included influential figures in the Bridgeport diocese. Among the board members were Philip Allen Lacovara, the attorney who represented the diocese in several recent high-profile court cases, including the failed attempt to block release of documents relating to clergy sexual abuse cases, and his wife, Madeline. She is a member of the Dames of Malta and he is listed as legal counsel for the Knights of Malta, a Catholic service organization that has also donated significant sums to the Haiti Fund.

Richard Markert, an attorney hired by the Haiti Fund board to oversee an investigation of Project Pierre Toussaint, said in a recent phone interview with NCR that the board first became aware of allegations against Perlitz in late 2007 when Haitian radio personality Cyrus Sibert began to make reference to the possibility of abuse.

The board conducted a months-long investigation, which included conversations with the Haitian national police. Haitian authorities, unknown to the Haiti Fund board, had begun their own investigation. Markert said Michael P. McCooey, by then chairman of the Haiti Fund, met with Haitian officials in August 2008. Additionally, U.S. authorities investigated the allegations before presenting evidence to the federal grand jury that delivered the indictment.

A report of the Haiti Fund's internal investigation was presented to the board in July 2008, after which Perlitz was removed as director. At the same time there was a reshuffling of the board and McCooey was named chairman and president, replacing Carrier, who had resigned.

A number of other members of the Haiti Fund board also resigned, in apparent protest of the decision to dismiss Perlitz and of a letter from McCooey to supporters of the project reporting the allegations and the firing.

In September 2008, two months after the initial report of the investigation to the board, a dozen supporters of Perlitz, many if not all of them former Haiti Fund board members, followed McCooey's letter with a scathing critique of the board's investigation and the firing. The letter, sent to the same supporters who received McCooey's letter, argued that the investigation was influenced by Haitian corruption and by intimidation and bribery of some of the witnesses. Among the signatories were Carrier and the Lacovaras.

In 11 detailed bullet points, the letter argues that Perlitz was denied due process; that many board members resigned because of the manner in which the investigation was handled; that information regarding intimidation and bribery, documented by two American volunteers, was not shared with most of the board; and that the "Haitian staff member being used as a key source of information by the board is the same person who was reportedly intimidating the boys."

They further argue that Haitian business leaders, American volunteers who worked on the project, human rights workers and others "do not believe these allegations."

Perlitz was arrested Sept. 16 in Colorado, where he had been living, by agents of the U.S. Immigration and Custom Enforcement Service and will face legal proceedings in Connecticut.
Fairfield University said it will investigate the use of donations from the school to the project.

The Haiti Fund has been depleted, and the school and residences that were part of Project Pierre Toussaint have been closed. McCooey said the properties, including a rural, 15-acre walled campus, are being guarded. "We intend to transition this," he said in an interview with NCR. McCooey said the intent is to "partner with another organization" to reopen the project sometime in the future.

Interview with Haitian reporter

http://www.bishop-accountability.org/AbuseTrackerArchive/2009/09/

CONNECTICUT
The Fairfield Mirror

By Joe Carretta
Keri Harrison


When the scandal involving Fairfield alum Doug Perlitz first broke two weeks ago, it came as a bit of a shock to the University community. However, it is an issue that has been evolving for some time and was first broken in Haiti by Haitian reporter Cyrus Sibert, who writes for the newspaper, Reseau Citadelle. Sibert said that he first heard rumors of the story, about Perlitz sexually abusing members of the Haitian school he created, in 2007 and then broke the story in August 2007 after he spoke to some members involved with the school. After doing some extensive research, Sibert claimed that Perlitz was guilty, which caused an investigation into the matter to be launched. According to an article by Stanley Lucas, who Sibert noted as a Haitian activist who wrote a response to the situation in order to pressure Haitian authorities, Sibert "brought the necessary public attention to this important issue. Following his article, the U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince launched an immediate investigation into Mr. Perlitz and the issue more broadly."

Sibert recently held a short interview with The Mirror, in which he spoke about his perspective to the story and how it was first handled in Haiti.
Posted by Kathy Shaw at 11:15 AM
_____________________________________

http://gspottt.wordpress.com/queeribbean-beat/
Catholic pedophilia, meet the abuses of development aid.

A US grand jury, the Connecticut Post reports, has returned an indictment of 39-year-old Douglas Perlitz (a missionary and alumnus honored by Catholic Fairfield University as its 2002 graduation speaker and honorary degree recipient) on "seven counts of traveling outside the United States for the purpose of engaging in sex with minors and three counts of engaging in sexual conduct in foreign places with minors", alleging that "in establishing Project Pierre Toussaint in Cap-Haitian, Haiti", he "befriended boys he met on the street and recruited them to attend his mission program. Once under his care, he is accused of using food, shelter, money and gifts – including cell phones, Walkmen, clothes and other inducements – to convince disadvantaged children to engage in sexual acts with him". The program, which had access to over US$2 million that an attorney says has "evaporated", "provided schooling, recreation, meals and baths to boys, as young as 6 years old, living on the streets of the impoverished nation". The abuse spanned a decade, CNN writes, commenting that "Haiti's abject poverty, threadbare social-service network and barely functioning legal system combine to make the country's street kids particularly vulnerable to exploitation." "Perlitz would take some of the minors to a restaurant, give them food and alcohol and then encourage them to spend the night with him" and "showed homosexual pornography to some of the youths as well", CNN says the court's indictment charges. The Hartford Courant quotes the indictment in further charging that "Perlitz told children not to be ashamed during sex acts; other times, he told them he was 'crazy.' When asked by volunteers why he allowed boys to sleep in his bedroom, Perlitz allegedly replied that it was common in Haiti for children and adults to sleep together and that certain of the children 'were having a lot of difficulty.' Children who complied were rewarded…They – and their families – sometimes received money from the contributions raised by the Haiti Fund and they were eligible for all the benefits offered by Project Pierre Toussaint. Those who refused could be denied necessities, such as bed linen, and were threatened with expulsion…". "Haitian journalist Cyrus Sibert was the first to report about rumors of sexual abuse at the school. 'I found many children who told me the situation at the project'".
In a two-part piece, New York City's Haitian Times offers backstory. "Charity has a price," it begins.
"With the Haitian government omnipotent in repression but AWOL on helping the citizenry…children are left to fend for themselves. As a result, US-based foreign missionaries, mostly church-affiliated, are filling up the void, providing the needed social services" and suggests a pattern of "some pedophiles, looking for easy preys…infiltrating these well-intentioned groups…many…well-known child molesters escaping the scrutiny of U.S authorities and relocating in Haiti where they can practice their trade with impunity. Complicating matters is the unsettling reality that foreigners (Blancs) practically enjoy de facto immunity from criminal prosecutions under an unwritten rule going back to the 18th century". The writer, Max Joseph, assails the charity's oversight board for its handling of the matter, which included its statement that "Haiti is a quagmire of poverty, corruption, violence and pain. Because of this, Doug's 'investigation'" by Haitian authorities "may never rise to our standard, America's standard, of integrity" and its accusation that "the children were bribed into making the accusations". (Fox News reporting suggests Rev. Paul Carrier, Fairfield University's dismissed director of campus ministry and community service, who served as chairman of the Haiti Fund board that financed the charity, is missing; Carrier has not been charged.) Joseph points out that when "Perlitz…was fired by the organization's board of directors following [the] allegations…in August of 2008, the funding dried up…benefactors…did not want their good names to be associated with such evil deed and the Project temporarily closed its doors during the summer of 2008. The children, facing a bleak and uncertain future, are now back on the streets." The university is shocked and very troubled but at the press conference US attorney Nora Dannehy had the right soundbite: "Children deserve to be safe, whether they live in the United States or whether they live elsewhere."

[SA KAP PASE HPN?]Le président haïtien honoré à Miami comme"héros de l'hémisphère"

RESEAU CITADELLE était invité à couvrir cet événement. Pour des questions liées à notre budget quasi inexistant qui dépend essentiellement des dons de la famille SIBERT et rarement de quelques amis volontaires, vu les obligations qui découlent de notre participation à la 14 Conférence sur la violence, le viol et les traumatismes à San Diego, nous avions décliné l'invitation à la dernière minute.

 

Nous étions au courant des personnes qui seront honorées ce 24 octobre 2009 sur le bateau de Croisière Liberty of The sea. Aucun chef d'Etat n'était sur la liste.

 

Nous ne comprenons pas cette information publiée par Haiti Press Network, une prestigieuse agence d'information online.

 

Avec ce reportage, Haiti-USA : Le président haïtien honoré à Miami comme"héros de l'hémisphère" On ne peut que se poser la question: SA KAP PASE HPN. 

 

Cyrus Sibert

www.reseaucitadelle.blogspot.com

 

--- En date de : Dim 25.10.09, Alexandra Azor <alexandraazor@hotmail.com> a écrit :


De: Alexandra Azor <alexandraazor@hotmail.com>
Objet: [Forum culturel] Re: Le président haïtien honoré à Miami comme"héros de l'hémisphère"
À: forumculturel@googlegroups.com
Date: Dimanche 25 Octobre 2009, 20h04

Correction a cet article: Mr. Preval et Mr. Insulza n'ont pas ete honores comme "Heros de l'Hemisphere" par la PADF.
 
J'ai participe a cette ceremonie et veuillez bien visiter le site suivant pour confirmation des 5 personnes qui ont actuellement recu cet honeur de la PADF.
 
http://www.heroesofthehemisphere.com/index.php?ht=d/sp/i/8635/pid/8635
 
Merci de votre attention,
Alexandra Azor
 


Date: Sun, 25 Oct 2009 10:35:54 -0700
From: jmarchalus@yahoo.com
Subject: [Forum culturel] Le président haïtien honoré à Miami comme"héros de l'hémisphère"
To: forumculturel@googlegroups.com

Haiti-USA : Le président haïtien honoré à Miami comme"héros de l'hémisphère"

Posté le 24 octobre 2009

Le président haïtien René Préval figure, avec le Secrétaire général de l'OEA, parmi les cinq récipiendaires du prix "héros de l'hémisphère" qui doit etre décerné ce samedi à Miami par la Fondation panaméricaine de développement (PADF).

René Préval et le Secrétaire général de l'Organisation des États américains, José Miguel Insulza, doivent être honorés ce samedi 24 octobre, jour des Nations-Unis, par la PADF comme des "héros de l'hémisphère", avons-nous appris de l'agence Associated Press.
Les deux dirigeants sont parmi cinq récipiendaires qui doivent recevoir ce prix lors d'une cérémonie de gala sur un bateau de croisière dans le port de Miami où des célébrités et les politiciens américains fêtent cinq "héros de l'hémisphère".
Ce prix est attribué par la Fondation panaméricaine de développement (PADF) qui honore cinq "leaders méconnus des Amériques", précise le Miami Herald.
René Préval et José Miguel Insulza devaient prendre la parole à cette cérémonie. Indisponible, le Président Préval s'est fait remplacer par le ministre du Tourisme, Patrick Delatour.
Quelques célébrités doivent également y participer comme l'ambassadeur de bonne volonté de la PADF pour l'enfance, Jimmy Jean-Louis de "Heroes", et Rainn Wilson de "The office".

JJ/HPN




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samedi 24 octobre 2009

Bulletin météo du samedi 24 octobre 2009.


Valable jusqu'au 26 octobre 2009

Situation synoptique dans la Caraïbe et sur l'Atlantique:

Une large zone de basse pression est localisée sur la portion nord-est de Cuba et la partie centrale des Bahamas et influence le reste des grandes Antilles. Le système devient moins organisé en produisant de faibles activités de pluie et d'orages. Entre temps, Haïti reste sous l'influence d'un flux ouest à nord-est qui charrie des nuages de pluie en direction de la caraïbe centrale aujourd'hui.

Prévisions pour Haïti:
- Périodes nuageuses à couvertes avec possibilité de pluie isolée au cours de la journée et en soirée;
- Températures clémentes au cours de la journée et plus agréables en soirée ;
- Pluie et orages isolés toujours possibles sur certains départements géographiques du pays notamment le sud, le sud-est, les nippes, la grand-anse et l'ouest


Avis:
Face aux fortes averses de pluie et des orages violents enregistrés sur nos départements depuis ces derniers jours, la moindre averse de pluie pourrait générer des dégâts. Par conséquent, le SPGRD demande encore à toute la population des zones à risque à redoubler de vigilance par rapport aux débordements de rivières, aux inondations, aux flancs de montagnes qui peuvent glisser, aux hauts lieux qui peuvent générer de la foudre.

Prévisions pour Port-au-Prince et environs:
· Nuageux et pluvieux au cours de la journée ;
· Nuageux avec des périodes couvertes en fin d'après-midi et en début de soirée ;
· Tº. max. : 32ºC ; Tº min: 21ºC ;
· Pluie sectorielle possible aujourd'hui.

Lever & coucher du soleil pour Port-au-Prince:
Aujourd'hui 24 oct.
Lever : 05h 46 mn
Coucher : 17h 20 mn

Dimanche 25 oct.
Lever : 05h 47 mn
Coucher : 17h 20 mn

Lundi 26 oct.
Lever : 05h 47 mn
Coucher : 17h 19 mn

Esterlin Marcelin, prévisionniste au CNM


Bulletin météo marine du samedi 24 octobre 2009:
Valable jusqu'au 25 octobre 2009

Prévisions maritimes:
Zone côtière nord :
Samedi & dimanche
* Vent du secteur est: 10-15 nœuds ;
* Hauteur des vagues : 3 à 5 pieds,
* Mer peu agitée.

Golfe de la Gonâve :
Samedi & dimanche
* Vent du secteur est: 10-15 nœuds;
* Hauteur des vagues : 4 à 6 pieds ;
* Possibilité de pluie et d'orages isolés ;
* Mer plus ou moins agitée.

Zone côtière sud :
Samedi & Dimanche
* Vent du secteur est: 10-15 nœuds
* Hauteur des vagues : 4 à 6 pieds ;
* Pluie et orages possibles aujourd'hui sur le littoral et au large ;
* Mer plus ou moins agitée.

Esterlin Marcelin, Prévisionniste au CNM

[De Cyrus Sibert à Altagracia et Jean Tédain] La sitaution à l'Hopital Justinien: Cap-Haitien.

Nous remercions les citoyens Altagracia et Jean Tédain pour cette ouverture sur la situation à l'Hôpital Justinien. Nous avons été informés de la dégradation de la situation à l'Hôpital Justinien. Le jeudi 20 Aout 2009, dans notre texte «Comme le Prof. Lesly Manigat dans les ''forums'', les partis au pouvoir doivent s'expliquer. » nous y avions fait allusion en ces termes :

« Nous souhaitons que les dirigeants de la FUSION expliquent leur politique de santé durant les 3 ans et demi écoulés. Pourquoi aujourd'hui la ville du Cap-Haitien n'a pas un hôpital, mais un dépôt de malades à la disposition des étudiants en médecine des écoles de Port-au-Prince, une institution truffée de corrompus qui paralysent les services de soin à tous les niveaux : Des membres du personnel de soutien s'accaparent des médicaments et des fiches d'inscription pour les revendre aux malades désespérés, à des prix révoltants; Des responsables de Services et de l'Administration bloquent le déroulement des programmes en faveur des démunis parce que les fonds et les médicaments sont détournés à d'autres fins. Une situation qui décourage les ONG qui supportent l'Hôpital, les médecins, les infirmières et les techniciens honnêtes qui souhaitent encore faire quelque chose au nom de l'Ethique professionnelle et du bien commun. Pourquoi, on a rien fait pour intégrer les jeunes boursiers haïtiens qui ont étudié la médecine à Cuba? La ''mafia médicale'' semble avoir contrôlé le ministère de la santé publique à partir du Parti FUSION et condamné les jeunes médecins haïtiens à l'exclusion. »

http://reseaucitadelle.blogspot.com/2009/08/comme-le-prof-lesly-manigat-dans-les.html

 

Le vendredi 23 octobre 2009, des employés de la Salle des Operations ayant présenté une conférence de presse sur la situation, nous avions demandé à notre collaborateur Gérard Maxineau d'écrire un texte avec photos à l'appui sur le sujet. Il sera publié, ce lundi au plus tard.

 

Merci pour la remarque.

 

Cyrus Sibert

RESEAU CITADELLE

www.reseaucitadelle.blogspot.com

 

____________________________________

 

 

Date: Samedi 24 Octobre 2009, 16h38

 Honorable Camarade Sibert,

Distingué Délégué du Cap Haïtien,

 

Nous Altagracia et Jean Tédain vous félicitons pour le bon travail que vous réalisez dans la Cité Christophienne. Le Réseau Citadelle constitue une porte parole de la vérité entre le Nord et le reste du monde et le Délégué Profète travaille généralement au bonheur de la ville. Néanmoins, dans une visite que nous venons de faire dans le Grand Nord (Cap, Fort-Liberté.... j'en passe), nous avons eu la chance de visiter l'Höpital Justinien, car un de nos invités, un étudiant haïtien qui étude en Rep. Dom. était malade.

 

L'aventure n'a pas été si heureuse que ça. En pleine nuit, il y avait une panne d'électricité et il n'y a même pas de lampe pour éclairer notre patient que nous étions obligés de mener à l'Hôpital. Selon le médecin et ses assistants (les différents jeunes, garçons ert filles du métier), le problème d"électricité est monnaie courante dans cet unique centre hospitalier digne du nom dans le Nord et un ancien maire de Fort-Liberté ajoute, le seul centre public de santé digne que le pays compte, après la fin de l'HUEH. Il ne passe pas un jour sans qu'il y ait coupure d'électricité dans l'Hôpital et il n'y a même pas de panneau solaire pour éclairer. Voyons ensemble dans quelle situation se trouve la vie des hospitalisés!

 

Messieurs les honorables, nous comptons sur vous pour faire suivre ce dossier. Camarade Sybert, quand nous enverreras-tu sur les forums un message dans lequel tu auras questionné les concernés? Distingué Délégue, que ferez-vous pour la population capoise à cet effet? Pourquoi le Ministre de la Maladie, pardon! de la santé publique n'est-il pas encore au courant?

 

Je vous remercie de votre compréhension,

 

Altagracia et Jean Tédain,

Pétion-Ville, Haïti, WI


vendredi 23 octobre 2009

Repotage Photos violence à Bande du Nord.


vendredi 23 octobre 2009

Cap-Haitien : Violence à « Bande du Nord ».

Par Gérard Maxineau


Nixon Jean Laguerre, tué par Gracius Laguerre, le Casec de la zone, en cavale.

La victime.

Rose Marie Evariste, la femme Silvio Toussaint
(2ème membre Casec Bande du Nord), blessée à coup de machette.

Rose Marie Evariste, la femme Silvio Toussaint
(2ème membre Casec Bande du Nord), blessée à coup de machette.

Gismène Clarissé, mère de la victime.

Gismène Clarissé, mère de la victime.

Cap-Haitien : Drame à « Bande du Nord ».

CaP-Haitien : Drame à «  Bande du Nord ». 

 

Nixon Jean Laguerre a été tué par le Casec de la zone Gracius Laguerre, en cavale.

La zone est sous contrôle policière.

 

Par Gérard Maxineau

 

Nixon Jean Laguerre, un riverain de 26 ans de « Bande du Nord » est décédé, dans la nuit du mercredi au jeudi 22 octobre 2009, à l'hôpital Universitaire Justinien, après avoir reçu un projectile, à la poitrine droite, du président du conseil d'administration de la section communale de la « Bande du Nord », Gracius Laguerre, selon les explications du juge Wilson Bernard, chargé du dossier.

 

Selon la mère de la victime, Gismene Clarismé,  Nixon Jean Laguerre a été «  arrêté » par Gracius Laguerre, après qu'il eut protesté auprès de ce dernier qui maltraitait une de ses cousines, elle aussi « appréhendée » par les agents de sécurité du bureau du Casec.

 

Nixon a été emmené, de force, à l'intérieur  du bureau, pour être sévèrement battu par les « gorilles » du Casec puis abattu, quelques minutes après par Gracius Laguerre, vraisemblablement, suite à altercation entre les deux hommes.

 

Alertés de la situation, les proches de Nixon Jean Laguerre ont tenté, en vain, de pénétrer sur les lieux, afin de secourir la victime, qui était encore en vie et qui souffrait de ses blessures. Empêchés par le Casec, armes en main.

 

Autorisés par la suite, les parents de Jean Laguerre l'ont vite emmené à l'hôpital Justinien ou la victime a rendu l'âme.

 

Des accusations, rejetées par Gracius Laguerre, joint par téléphone.

 

Le président du conseil d'administration de la section communale de la « Bande du Nord » affirme que  Nixon Jean Laguerre a tué d'une balle perdue, tirée par des membres de la population qui barricadait le bureau.

 

Laguerre déclare s'être mis à couvert, conseillé, par des policiers après s'être rendu au commissariat principal de la ville, suite à ce drame qui a secoué cette section communale.

 

En effet, son bureau a essuyé des jets de pierre et de tessons de bouteille.

 

Rose Marie Euvariste, la femme de Sylvio Toussaint, un autre membre du conseil  de « Bande du Nord » qui accompagnait Gracius Laguerre,au moment du drame, a été gravement blessée à coup de manchettes par des membres de la population et a du laissée le pays pour la République Dominicaine.

 

Des riverains de « Bande du Nord » en ont profité pour dénoncer une « milice » montée par l'équipe de Laguerre qui « patrouillent »  la région, « arrêtent » qui bon leur semble.

Interrogé sur la question, Gracius Laguerre reconnaît disposer d'une équipe pour « sécuriser » la zone en proie de bandits.

 

Un important dispositif de sécurité a été remarqué, ce jeudi, devant les locaux abritant le bureau du conseil d'administration de la section communal de « Bande du Nord » également à l'hôpital Justinien, avant l'évacuation de la femme de Sylvio Toussaint pour la Dominicanie.

 

Gérard Maxineau

gedemax@yahoo.fr

[NDLR] Depuis 2007 nous avions signalé cette situation de milice municipale dans la commune du Cap-Haitien. Dans le texte qui suit, publié le 07 mai 2007, vous pourrez revivre les informations sur les abus commis par la CASEC de la bande du Nord. Un système répressif, pire que les Chefs de Section, établi au cœur de la ville du Cap-Haitien, à quelques mètres du site touristique Labadie. Le bureau des droits humains de la MINUSTAH, le gouvernement haïtien et les organisations des droits humains étaient informés de cette situation. Aujourd'hui, il y a un mort et des blessés, demain il pourrait y avoir des confrontations violentes dans cette localité, car, selon nos informations, il y a un mouvement de révolte dans la section de la Bande du Nord contre ces pratiques de violation systématique des libertés civiles. Nous blâmons le comportement complice de l'Etat haïtien, de la Présidence - la Politique électorale de René Préval qui fait des CASEC des hommes au-dessus de la loi- et finalement de la MINUSTAH. Nous avons vécu l'empressement avec lequel ces entités avaient réagi face aux militaires démobilisés en septembre 2008. Pourtant dans le cas de ces milices répandues à travers le pays et commandées par les CASEC, aucune enquête sérieuse n'a été menée en ce sens. Au contraire, les missionnaires de l'ONU ne cessent de renforcer le pouvoir de ces violateurs des droits humains au nom du renforcement des autorités locales. 

 _________________________

Cap-Haïtien - Attention à l'AUTORITARISME MUNICIPAL.

 


         Les hommes de main du Maire Michel Saint-Croix terrorisent la ville du Cap-Haïtien

Cyrus Sibert, Radio Kontak Inter,

Cap-Haitien, Haiti

reseaucitadelle@yahoo.fr

7 mai 07

Comme dans toutes les autres villes du pays, le nouveau cartel de la Mairie de la ville du Cap-Haïtien applique des mesures impopulaires pour libérer les trottoirs des marchands du secteur informel qui transforment la ville du Cap-Haïtien en marché public. Les membres du nouveau cartel Lavalas qui s'étaient opposés au maire Aspil Fleurant quand durant la transition on voulait mettre de l'ordre dans la rue, sont très actifs dans l'application de ces mesures drastiques allant jusqu'à des comportements arbitraires et hors normes pour forcer les marchands à laisser la rue aux voitures et les trottoirs aux piétons. Un miracle de la prise de pouvoir ! Parce qu'avant on tenait mordicus à dénoncer Aspil Fleurant de Maire-Assaillant-pro-bourgeois qui agit dans les intérêts du secteur privé. Michel Saint-Croix, l'actuel maire Lavalas était à la tête des manifestations de soutien aux petits-marchands. On en profitait pour réclamer le retour de Jean-Bertrand Aristide : Titid ou la mort !

Bref, les nouveaux maires sont raisonnés. Ils agissent, disent-ils, dans le but de ''rénover'' la ville du Cap-Haïtien. Cette ville qu'ils promettaient d'incendier, il y a trois mois, si le résultat des élections n'était pas en leur faveur. Dans un tour magique, Attila est devenu Cicéron.

Mais attention ! Haïti est un pays qui a le malheur de voir les intellectuels, les élites, dans des moments de délire, appuyer l'arbitraire jusqu'à instaurer la dictature. Duvalier et les intellectuels de l'indigénisme de l'école les griots, Aristide et les intellectuels de gauche, sont  des exemples effrayants. Des intellectuels de la démocratie étaient tellement contents du mouvement populaire qui propulsait le petit prêtre de La Saline , qu'ils avaient baissé leur garde jusqu'à qualifier le supplice du collier (père Lebrun) de ''nécessité historique de justice sociale''. Au Cap-Haïtien, nous autres du secteur démocratique, disons attention au TOTALITARISME MUNICIPAL. Les mesures doivent être prises et appliquées suivant les normes, dans le cadre des lois régissant le fonctionnement des municipalités.


Les lavalassiens au pouvoir, à la tête de la mairie, sont connus pour leur participation dans des actes de violation des droits humains. Au moins, un d'entre eux,   prenait part aux violences organisées contre les marches pacifiques de 2003. Ils ont une pratique de violation systématique des droits humains.

Le Conseil d'Administration de la Section Communale du Cap-Haïtien, présidé par Gracius Laguerre du Parti Fanmi Lavalas, arrête des citoyens sans mandat pour les emprisonner dans le local de l'Ecole professionnelle de la zone transformé en caserne et en garde à vue. ''Jo'' ainsi connu, résidant de la 22 M, en a vécu les agissements du nouveau cartel. Des citoyens nous signalent une patrouille, nocturne organisée par les hommes de Gracius Laguerre regroupés au sein d'un gang appelé ARMEE SO PLAKE. Ce qui rappelle les DKW, les voitures de la police politique de François Duvalier.

L'élection de ce cartel Lavalas à la faveur des fraudes électorales du 3 décembre dernier représente une menace pour le site touristique Labadie. Un gang à proximité d'un site touristique…


C'est pourquoi nous attirons l'attention de l'opinion sur la nécessité d'exiger à ce que les décisions de la mairie doivent être légales et administratives. L'équipe qui accompagne le cartel dans l'application de ces décisions ne doit pas être composée de repris de justice, de voleurs connus, ni de criminels. Les biens doivent être saisis suivant les normes et dans la légalité. La mairie doit respecter la vie privée des gens et ne pas se comporter en tout puissant, agissant à la place de la police, de la justice, ...

Malheureusement, on nous signale des cas où des biens saisis par la mairie on été appropriés par des membres de la sécurité communale. On peut facilement observer des hommes de la mairie dégustant la nourriture saisie des mains d'une marchande, on se livre au partage des fruits, des légumes et d'autres biens saisis comme des pirates se régalent de leur butin. Dans ces conditions, on peut vite comprendre que souvent des petits marchands sont violentés par des hommes de la mairie dans le seul but d'augmenter le butin. Des gens de la mairie, nous signale-t-on, se livrent au contrôle des vêtements. Les porteuses de jupes jugées trop courtes sont harcelées et humiliées en pleine rue.

Un propriétaire terrien qui au début supportait le cartel jusqu'à aller lui présenter ses félicitations, est aujourd'hui déçu. Son terrain a été qualifié, illégalement, de propriété de l'Etat par le Maire Michel Saint-Croix. Ce dernier ignore les décisions de justice confortant le droit de propriété de la famille Pierre-Louis et menace d'arrêter le représentant des héritiers s'il persiste à réclamer des spoliateurs dédommagements.

Ce n'est pas sans raison qu'on assiste à une augmentation de cas de dépossession forcée. Partout dans le Nord c'est le dechoukaj des terres. On envahit des champs agricoles pour construire des maisons et tout cela avec les complicités de policiers qui en reçoivent portion.

Même quand le Maire Michel Saint-Croix promet de nous ''arrêter'', nous continuerons à jouer notre rôle de contre pouvoir. Nous continuerons de rappeler son passé ; de suivre le caractère légal de ses décisions ; de dénoncer le caractère arbitraire des ses faits et actes, tout en surveillant le respect des droits des petits marchands qui sont eux aussi des personnes physiques dépositaires de droits et de devoirs. Nous n'avons pas comme d'autre à appuyer des autorités, dans un pays avec un Etat au passé liberticide. Nous ferons notre travail de contre pouvoir, promoteur des droits civils et politiques, défenseur de la veuve et de l'orphelin. Car la démocratie haïtienne se renforcera par la vigilance citoyenne et le courage de la presse et des militants des droits humains. Si l'absence de casier judiciaire facilite la prise du pouvoir par des délinquants et les trafiquants de drogue, la presse continuera à rappeler les crimes et les délits commis ; les victimes en sont les premiers témoins.  

Cyrus Sibert

Cap-Haitien, Haïti

07 mai 07