Guidance

Haiti: guidance for victims of rape and sexual assault

Updated 23 February 2024

If you’ve been sexually assaulted it’s important to remember that it was not your fault. Rape and sexual assault is always wrong – no matter who commits it or where it happens. It is traumatic and it can affect you both physically and emotionally. Do not be afraid to get help.

This information is provided to help British nationals overseas make informed decisions about whether and how to seek medical advice and attention, report to local police and engage with local legal authorities following a rape or other form of sexual assault in Haiti.

For information on support available in the UK, see Rape and sexual assault: returning to the UK.

First steps

It is your choice about what you do next, but this information may help you in coming to a decision. The most important thing is to make sure that you are as safe as you can be. You can:

• contact your tour operator if you are travelling with one
• contact the British Embassy in Santo Domingo +1 809 472 7111 option “Help for British People”. This option is available 24/7

Embassy staff will be empathetic, and non-judgmental, and can provide information on local police and medical procedures. Anything you tell them will be treated in the strictest confidence. They can contact your family or friends for you if you wish.

If you want to report the incident to the police in Haiti

• if you have a tour operator, they should be able to arrange for someone to support you.
• the British Embassy in Santo Domingo (Dominican Republic) provides consular assistance to British nationals in Haiti. You can call +1 809 472-7111, option ‘Help for British people’. You will always be able to speak to trained consular staff on the telephone 24/7.
• if you approach the police directly, they may be able to inform the British Embassy in Santo Domingo on +1 809 472-7111, option ‘Help for British people’.
• if you choose to report the crime, try to do so as soon as possible, so forensic evidence can be retained. Washing yourself or your clothes may make it difficult for the police to obtain forensic evidence. If you change your clothes, think about taking those you were wearing to the police. You may wish to preserve evidence by retaining items such as condoms, toothbrushes, or texts.
• tell the police if you think you have been drugged.
• insist you get a police report. You will have to have it privately translated into English.

When you file a complaint at a police station or at the Public Prosecutor’s Office, there is generally a pre-established form which will be completed by the officer receiving the complaint or the complainant. This form, once completed, will serve as a police report.

Strictly speaking, you do not run any risk by reporting the assault to the police. You may actually start to run a risk from the moment the police decide to follow up on the complaint eg. reprisals from the aggressor, as no formal measures are available to temporarily house and protect the victims.

There are known issues of corruption with the police and though it might not be common, it’s possible that the identity and influence of the accused may pose a risk to the victim when reporting the assault to the police.

Extramarital sex and homosexuality are not crimes. However, Haitian society and its main institutions including the Haitian National Police, often show a strong intolerance for homosexual behaviour. It is therefore possible that a complaint from a homosexual victim of rape or sexual assault of a homosexual nature is taken less seriously, and does not receive any follow-up.

Possession of drugs is prohibited and punishable by law regardless of the quantity, while consumption is not. Alcohol consumption is not prohibited by law.

Haitian criminal law does not take into account religion or ethnicity in the administration of sentences.

There are very few women police officers in police stations. Their presence is therefore rare or non-existent, depending on the locality.

Haiti’s two official languages are French and Creole. It’s possible to find English-speaking police officers more likely in the urban areas of the capital Port-au- Prince, but this is the exception, not the general rule. It is strongly recommended to hire an interpreter or take someone you can trust who can translate for you, to accompany you to the police station.

There may be racketeers who claim to be able to translate when in fact, they barely know English.

The British Embassy can provide a list of English-speaking translators in Haiti.

An investigating judge/magistrate is primarily responsible for conducting investigations, particularly in cases of rape and sexual assault. They may also delegate certain investigative tasks to judicial police officers.

The main piece of evidence, and very often the only piece of evidence required from the victim when filing a complaint is a medical certificate.

While the medical certificate is not required by law to file a complaint against sexual assault and rape, actors in the Haitian judicial system place an inordinate amount of importance on the medical certificate as the basis for sexual violence cases making it almost necessary to initiate criminal proceedings.

The prosecutor’s office often closes the case without further action when the medical certificate is missing even if the police does register the complaint. In other instances, the police simply refuses to register complaints of rape on the grounds that the medical certificate has not been submitted. Similarly, prosecution officials sometimes refuse to register the complaint solely based on the absence of a medical certificate.

When filing a complaint at the police station, you may be accompanied by a relative or any other person who can provide moral or emotional support for the narration of the facts to the police officers. You can also be assisted by a privately appointed lawyer.

Police officers or court clerks will take relevant information about your identity from your passport and may make a copy for the file, but they are obliged to return it to you at the end of the statement.

Lawyers are not assigned to the person filing the complaint. You will have to hire your own lawyer if you wish to have legal assistance when doing so.

The British Embassy can provide a list of English-speaking lawyers in Haiti.

Reporting the crime in Haiti: what happens next

• if you choose to report the crime, try to do so as soon as possible, so forensic evidence can be retained. Washing yourself or your clothes may make it difficult to obtain forensic evidence

• if you change your clothes, think about taking those you were wearing to the police. You may wish to preserve evidence by retaining items such as condoms, toothbrushes, or texts and social media messages

• tell the police if you think you have been drugged

• insist you get a police report. You will have to have it privately translated into English

It is preferable the victim’s statement be as complete as possible. Try to report the facts with as much detail as possible, including details relating to the place of the assault, its date, the identity of the assailant, and the identity of any witnesses. The description of the aggressor and his/her behaviour is important, but it’s not required to write the complaint. The investigating judge will use the information contained in the complaint to initiate the investigation of the case.

The police will consider the offense to be “in flagrante delicto” if it was committed less than twenty-four hours ago. In that case, they may seize objects in the victim’s possession, including clothing or electronic devices, if they consider they are likely to help in solving the case.

In the absence of flagrante delicto, judicial police officers are not empowered to seize items deemed useful for the investigation. The investigating judge may mandate them to make the necessary seizures on his behalf.

As noted above, in matters of rape and sexual assault the medical certificate is almost of vital importance to many law enforcement officers. As a result, police officers frequently ask victims to go to a hospital to obtain a medical certificate before filing a complaint.

The British Embassy provides a List of Medical Facilities in Haiti

It may be challenging to obtain a medical certificate in a format accepted by the police. There is no national or local standard on writing medical certificates. The police may refer you to another institution for the drafting of the certificate such as the General Hospital, which very often is dysfunctional.

It is unlikely that the Haitian police will inform the UK police of the complaint, or ask them to undertake police checks on you.

The medical examination: what to expect

In principle, hospitals and health centres do not place restrictions on the treatment of victims of rape or sexual assault.

Some hospitals and health centres may not have adequate facilities and/or may not have staff with expertise in providing care to victims of rape and sexual assault.

There is no obligation for health professionals to report analysis/consultations that would reveal a person has been victim of rape or sexual assault to the police.

The medical examination is usually performed by a gynaecologist or andrologist (in the case of a man), sometimes assisted by a nurse. If the victim is a woman or a girl, the examining doctor, if male, usually prefers to have at least one nurse present to perform the examination.

The doctor checks for internal and external injuries, lesions, bruises or inflammation. He or she will do some tests to make sure the victim is not infected with an STD as well as check if the victim is pregnant. Sometimes, he tries to detect the presence of a third person’s DNA on the victim’s body. The most frequently used medical techniques to do this are: medical touch, blood analysis, and the written report of anomalies observed with naked eyes. DNA sampling and analysis as well as photography are possible.

The medical certificate drawn up by the doctor at the end of his or her assessment is an important piece of evidence in the victim’s file, but it is not irrefutable proof. It can be freely challenged or even invalidated by contrary evidence.

Doctors normally allow victims to be accompanied by a relative during the examination. If the companion is not a relative it is unlikely that they will be able to attend the assessment.

Treatment

Although there is no legal obligation to do so, doctors generally make a point of automatically recommending HIV PEP medication to victims of rape or sexual assault. These drugs are usually provided free of charge on site. They are taken by the victim under the supervision of the doctor.

HIV PEP medication needs to be taken within 72 hours of the incident for it to be effective. The NHS may be able to commence or continue the 28-day treatment on return to the UK.

Emergency contraception is also frequently recommended to victims. They are readily available and can be provided free of charge to the victim at the hospital or health centre where the examination took place. Otherwise, they can be bought commercially without a doctor’s prescription.

Emergency contraception needs to be taken within 72 hours of the incident for it to be effective.

Generally, the victim and/or their relatives will have to pay for medical and laboratory expenses.

If you have had medication administered overseas, you should keep the label or make a note of the name of the medication, so that you let your local health provider know when you return home.

Police investigations in Haiti: what to expect

In the event of a flagrant offense, the police may take you to the scene of the crime or to any other place where the offender may be in order to identify him. They may proceed to the immediate arrest of the accused if they are on the premises, under a detention warrant.

When there is no flagrante delicto, though unlikely, it is possible that the police will take you to the scene of the crime, or include you in an operation to arrest the suspect.

You may be asked to go to the police station to identify a suspect, but this is not common practice. You will be shielded, so as not to be seen by the suspect.

The circumstances of the arrest determine whether the suspect will have to appear before the public prosecutor and the time frame.

If the arrest takes place in flagrante delicto, the suspect should appear before the public prosecutor within four to five clear days of his arrest. However, this time limit is not always respected.

If the arrest takes place through a warrant issued by the Justice of the Peace, the suspect should appear before the public prosecutor within four days. However, this time limit is not always respected.

If the arrest takes place through a warrant issued by the Public Prosecutor, the suspect should be taken directly to him to proceed with his interrogation within twenty-four hours. However, this time limit is not always respected.

At the end of the hearing of the suspect by the public prosecutor, he will take the decision to issue a detention warrant against the suspect as a security measure, or to order his release.

If the arrest takes place through a warrant issued by the Investigating Judge, the suspect should be taken directly to him for a hearing. In this case, the suspect will not have to appear before the public prosecutor.

The public prosecutor may also request the victim appear before him in order to make additional statements or clarifications. These additional details or statements are likely to motivate his decision to prosecute or not the act denounced by the victim. In practice, the public prosecutor frequently requires the victim to appear before him to make statements when he is not satisfied with the consistency of the case.

The public prosecutor often requires the complainant to appear before him in order to conduct a “confrontation hearing” of the parties. During this hearing, he hears and takes note of the version of each of the parties (victim and alleged assailant) in order to decide whether to close the case without further action or to refer the case to the investigating judge.

Generally, when the public prosecutor requests the appearance of the victim, it is preferable that he or she appear in person accompanied by his or her lawyer to give the statement. Victims are also allowed to appoint a lawyer to make their statements on their behalf.

The victim’s lawyer only has access to the case notes after the investigation of the examining judge has taken place. In fact, since the investigation is secret, many of the documents in the file cannot be communicated to any of the parties. Once said investigation is done, the victim’s lawyer can obtain the documents from the court clerk’s office if they intend to appeal the investigating judge’s closure order. The lawyer may also request the relevant documents of the case once notified that the criminal case has been appointed to the court.

There are many Haitian lawyers who offer pro bono services for this type of cases.

Once the complaint has been lodged, you may leave the country. However, if you decide to also register a claim for criminal indemnification (civil claim) you must elect domicile in the municipality where the investigation is being conducted.

This can be done by appointing a local lawyer and you will be deemed to have elected domicile at the address of the lawyer’s office.

Court procedures: what to expect

The victim can only testify at the trial if they do not act as a civil party. Haitian law states that: “no one can be a witness in his own case”. Therefore, the civil party in the trial is not allowed to testify.

If the victim does not register as a civil party, they remain a third party to the trial and may be required to testify. Their testimony may be requested twice, first by the investigating judge and then by the criminal court.

In the criminal court, the testimony of witnesses is one of the initial phases of the trial. Therefore, it takes place not long after the beginning of the hearing and usually happens at the first hearing when the trial is held over several hearings.

The victim will not be able to testify from the UK and will be expected to return to Haiti. Court formalities for the testimony of witnesses to be considered as evidence do not provide for witnesses to be able to give their testimony remotely.

If the victim registers as a civil party, they must be kept informed of the progress of the proceedings. The acts of the proceedings will be served at their domicile or that of their lawyer’s office.

Appointing a lawyer can give the victim a certain guarantee that they will receive the procedural documents within the time limits set by the law, and that they will be able to exercise any necessary recourse in time. It must also be stressed that most of the time, the success of a case and how fast it is handled are due to a lawyer’s diligence.

If the victim does not file a civil suit, they will be a third party to the trial and should seek information on the progress of the proceedings. Quite often, they will have to stay in contact with the police officer or magistrate in charge of the investigation to obtain information. They may also inquire at the court clerk’s office about the transfer of the file to the investigating judge’s office, who will be the investigating judge in charge of the case and the decision rendered by them.

If the case is referred to further investigation, the investigating judge may ask the victim to give a new statement. However, this is not mandatory. It will depend on the investigating judge and the needs of the investigation.

The victim may decide to drop charges. Despite the victim’s withdrawal, the public prosecutor may continue his criminal proceedings until the offender is convicted. He may also decide to end the criminal proceedings following the victim’s withdrawal, though he is not legally obliged to do so.

Under Haitian law, if the victim’s withdrawal as a civil party causes prejudice to the defendant(s), the victim may be ordered to pay compensation, and if the public prosecutor also decides to terminate the criminal proceedings, the suspect(s) might use the victim’s withdrawal as evidence of the frivolous nature of their complaint in order to prosecute for slanderous denunciation.

If the alleged assailant is found not guilty by the criminal court, the assailant has the right to petition for and obtain the plaintiff’s conviction to pay them damages for slander.

Similarly, if the alleged assailant is found not guilty by the criminal court, or if the investigating judge decides that there is insufficient evidence against them to bring the case before the criminal court, the assailant may bring forward a complaint against the complainant for slanderous denunciation. This is a misdemeanour punishable by a prison sentence of one month to one year.

When the victim is a civil party to the proceedings and claims damages for the prejudice suffered as a result of the sexual assault, Haitian law allows the criminal court to order the accused to pay damages in the same ruling that finds him guilty of the crime he is charged of. The award of damages may also take place in a separate ruling from the one sentencing the accused to imprisonment.

It is imperative that the victim who has registered as a civil party, makes their claim for damages prior to the decision of the criminal court. Once the court has rendered its verdict, the victim/civil party may no longer claim or obtain any compensation from the accused even if the accused has been found guilty. Any claim for damages will be inadmissible both in the criminal court that rendered the decision and in any civil court.

When the victim has not registered to the trial as a civil party, therefore remaining a third party to the proceedings, the victim may bring an action before the civil court to obtain damages from their assailant after the criminal court has found them guilty.

Additional Legal information

How can my case be taken to trial?

The victim must file a complaint against the assailant before the judicial authorities provided for by law, namely: police officers, justices of the peace, government commissioners/public prosecutor or investigating judges. Through that complaint, the victim asks the judicial authorities, particularly the public prosecutor, to instigate criminal proceedings against the assailant so he/she can be sentenced to the penalty prescribed by law.

The complaint may be lodged directly by the victim, but Haitian law allows the victim to commission a third party to file the complaint in their name and on their behalf.

The complaint must be filed in Haiti, in French or Creole.

The case may also be referred to the judicial authorities by a third party who has witnessed the rape or sexual assault.

The public prosecution and conviction of a crime, including rape and sexual assault, is barred after ten years from the date of commission of the crime if no investigation or prosecution has been carried out in the meantime. Therefore, the victim has ten years from the date of commission of the crime to file a complaint.

Trial procedures

The first step in determining whether the complaint will go to trial is the Public prosecutor’s “request to investigate” (Réquisitoire d’informer) to the Investigating judge. This document tells the victim the Public Prosecutor’s Office has not dismissed the case and that it is ready to go to trial once the investigating judge allows the case to be referred to the criminal court.

However, the final order of the investigating judge is what determines whether there will be a trial. At the end of the investigation, the investigating judge must make a decision called a “closure” order. If he considers there is not enough evidence against the suspect(s), he issues a dismissal order. In this case, he does not admit the referral of the case to the criminal court and there will be no trial.

If the court considers there is sufficient evidence to incriminate the suspect(s), it issues a referral order and a trial before the criminal court may then take place.

It should be noted that the examining judge’s decision is subject to appeal, therefore, the victim will not know whether there will be a trial until the appeal period expires, which is a maximum of ten clear days.

If an appeal is lodged, it will also be necessary to wait for the decision of the Appeal Court to know whether there will be a trial.

The victim will definitely know that there will be a trial from the moment the Public prosecutor prepares and serves his indictment.

The trial will be conducted in French and Creole, although all the written acts of the proceedings will be in French.

As a general rule, the victim is not required to attend any of the trial hearings. If the victim has filed a civil suit, the victim’s lawyer may appear on their behalf without the victim ever having to appear in court.

However,2 situations may require the victim to attend court:

• if the victim does not register as a civil party, they may be required to testify before the court by the prosecution or by the accused. The victim must attend in person, otherwise their testimony will not be valid

• the Court Dean has discretionary power to, and may require the personal appearance of the victim before the Court, in particular with a view to questioning them, even when the victim is a civil party. Under the Haitian Code of Criminal Procedure the Dean may call and hear “any person” capable of providing him or her with information likely to elucidate the facts. In this case, the victim’s statements will not serve as testimony

If the victim does have to attend trial, the Haitian authorities are very unlikely to assist with travel and accommodation arrangements or provide other type of support.

The examining/investigating judge has the obligation to render his final order within 2 to 3 months, and a criminal session with jury assistance must be held at least every six months. Therefore, in principle a case should take between 2 to 6 months to come to trial. However, that is almost never the case. It is more likely that the case will take at least a year before coming to trial.

Criminal trials usually last one (1) day. If the case is more complex than usual, the court might order a second session. In that event, the trial will most likely last two (2) days. The final sentence is rendered on the same day at the end of the court’s session.

The Criminal Court’s judgments are not subject to appeal. However, the defendants, as well as the prosecution and the civil party, have the right to challenge the judgement before the Court of Cassation. To do so, they have a period of three clear days from the date of delivery of the judgement.

It should be noted that the Court of Cassation, does not re-examine the case, and therefore, does not dwell on the facts. It only ensures the criminal court has applied the law correctly in making its decision. The Court of Cassation is required to give its decision within one month.

If the defendant’s appeal in cassation is rejected, they are not allowed to file another appeal in cassation against the decision of the criminal court “on any pretext and by any means”.

If the appeal is successful and the Court of Cassation overturns the criminal court’s verdict, then the case will be referred to another criminal court for retrial.

Hiring a lawyer

One of the main functions of the criminal lawyer is to assist the victim during the criminal proceedings. The lawyer ensures the procedures provided for by the law are followed and that the appropriate follow-ups are carried out by the authorities involved and by the victim. The lawyer also accompanies the victim wherever their presence is required during the investigation of the case or the trial.

The lawyer represents the victim before all judicial authorities and makes the statements he deems appropriate on behalf of the victim saving the victim from having to be present in places they are unable or unwilling to be.

The lawyer also usually helps to gather useful evidence for the investigation of the case and for their client/the victim. The lawyer conducts his or her own investigation to ensure that there is sufficient evidence in the file which allows the case to be brought before the criminal court and the conviction of the offender.

It is unlikely to find lawyers who specialise in rape and sexual assault. However, many lawyers, particularly those working with women’s rights organisations, have an excellent grasp of the issues surrounding sexual crimes and related criminal proceedings.

Find an English-speaking lawyer in Haiti.

Communication

If the victim decides to file a complaint at a police station, the first actor in the judicial chain with whom they will come into contact is a police agent. Afterwards the victim will probably have to consult a doctor to obtain a medical certificate.

Then, the victim will probably have to appear before the public prosecutor to take their statement and possibly in a “confrontation hearing” of the parties.

Finally, the victim may also communicate with the investigating judge, either because they decided to file a complaint with the investigating judge’s office, or in order to testify if they register as a civil party.

There is no special procedure for victims who do not reside in Haiti. They will have to file their complaint before a competent authority in Haiti or mandate someone to do so on their behalf. They can then leave the country, but if their testimony is required, they will have to return to Haiti to testify.

If the non-resident victim decides to take a more active role in the proceedings as a civil party, they will not only be required to give a local address but also to be located in the municipality where the investigation is taking place. If they appoint a lawyer, they will be deemed to have elected domicile at the address of the lawyer’s office, and therefore not have to provide any other address.

If victims choose not to appoint a lawyer, in order to be kept updated they should keep in touch with the judge, public prosecutor or police officer in charge of investigations. They may also request information from the clerk’s office of the court that has jurisdiction over the case.

Legal aid

Per the Haitian Legal Assistance Law, legal assistance may be granted to “ensure the legal representation of a person who is a victim of a crime or misdemeanour and whose precarious economic or financial situation is duly declared”

In order to receive legal assistance, the victim must:

• expressly request it to a Legal Assistance Office (LAO)

• the Legal Assistance Office must admit that they are in a precarious economic or financial situation and the Director General of the National Council for Legal Assistance must declare her as such

In order to determine whether the person is indeed in a precarious economic or financial situation, the legal aid office will look at the victim’s income, their liquid assets (bank statements may be requested), the expenses they have to make (e.g. the existence of dependent children) and the non-liquid assets they own.

Legal aid covers the costs of the proceedings and lawyers’ fees. It may also extend to future appeals and writs of execution. It does not apply to damages that the victim may be ordered to pay, if the accused is acquitted.

While it is common for lawyers to be paid part of their fees before going to court, victims receiving legal aid will not have to pay such fees as legal aid covers lawyers’ fees.

Sentencing

Penalties in Haitian criminal law are more oriented towards the punishment of offenders than towards their rehabilitation. No provision is made for the rehabilitation of the rapist or sexual assailant.

The perpetrators of rape and sexual assault will be guilty of crimes against persons.

Haitian Penal Code provides for a ten-year prison sentence. There is no possibility of a suspended sentence.

The sentence may be increased to fifteen years’ imprisonment if the rape or sexual assault was committed against a child under the age of fifteen.

Perpetrators will be sentenced to life imprisonment if they belong to “the category of people who have authority over the person against whom they have committed the offense or who abuse the authority conferred on them by their functions, or if the guilty person, whoever he or she may be, was assisted in his crime by one or more persons, or if death ensued”.

In addition to the above-mentioned prison sentences, the criminal court judge may order the offender to pay damages to the victim and also to suffer “civic degradation” which consists of the removal and exclusion of the convicted person from all public functions or employment, and in the deprivation of all the following rights:

• the convicted person may never be a juror, an expert, or a witness in any proceedings, nor may he give evidence in court, other than to provide simple information
• he or she will be incapable of guardianship and curatorship, except of his children, and in that event, only upon acceptance of the children’s family council
• he or she will be deprived of the right to bear weapons

If the accused is found not guilty, the court shall declare that they are acquitted of the charge, and shall order that they be released, if they are not detained for any other reason.

The civil party if there is one, shall be ordered to pay the proceedings costs to the State.

Compensation

There is no state-funded compensation scheme to cover physical or psychological injuries suffered as a result of a sexual or violent crime in Haiti.

When the victim is a civil party to the proceedings and claims damages for the prejudice suffered as a result of the sexual assault, Haitian law allows the criminal court to order the accused to pay damages in the same ruling that finds him guilty of the crime he is charged of. The award of damages may also take place in a separate ruling from the one sentencing the accused to imprisonment.

It is imperative that the victim who has registered as a civil party, makes their claim for damages prior to the decision of the criminal court. Once the court has rendered its verdict, the victim/civil party may no longer claim or obtain any compensation from the accused even if they have been found guilty. Any claim for damages will be inadmissible both in the criminal court that rendered the decision and in any civil court.

When the victim has not registered to the trial as a civil party, therefore remaining a third party to the proceedings, they may bring an action before the civil court to obtain damages from their assailant after the criminal court has found them guilty.

If you do not want to report the incident to the police in Haiti

The British Embassy will be able to help you. This includes helping you to contact your insurance company, your family, making arrangements to travel back to the UK and/or provide you with information on local support in the UK.

They can provide you with lists of English-speaking medical facilities, lawyers and translators:

• English-speaking lawyers in Haiti
• medical facilities in Haiti
• translators in Haiti

If you are travelling with one, you can also report the incident to your tour operator and ask them for assistance. If you wish, the tour operator may accompany you to the local hospital though they cannot be present during medical exams.

It is your choice on whether to report the crime. If you don’t report it, your case may not be investigated.

You must report the crime in Haiti for it to be investigated. You may commission a lawyer to do it for you.

You can get medical treatment even if you do not file a complaint. The health professional may ask you questions about the circumstances of the assault, and on whether you intend to report it.

If you want to report the incident to the police in the UK

The support available to you, and your access to justice may vary according to where you report the crime. In many countries including Haiti, you need to report the crime before you leave the country if you want it to be investigated, and police to obtain important evidence.

If you are staying in the country where the crime took place, you should report the crime in that country. If you are a British national and you need help to report the crime, you can contact the nearest British embassy, high commission or consulate, or the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office in London.

If you do not report the crime in the country where it happened and you return to the UK, you can still report the matter to your local UK police.

The UK police should send the information you provide to the country where the crime happened. However, it is for foreign police forces to decide whether to investigate a crime in their jurisdiction and they may not take action.

You can report the crime to the UK police even if you are not seeking an investigation abroad. The UK police can offer you access to victim support in the UK. They may still send some details of the crime to police in the country where it happened. This might be necessary in order to protect vulnerable people, or to stop more crimes being committed.

Support organisations in Haiti

It is your choice to let people know. If you are ready to talk about what happened the following organisations might be able to help you.

Nègès Mawon

Reinforced accompaniment of women on the medical, legal and psychological level.

Address: 18, Impasse Baron, Turgeau, Port-au-Prince, Haïti Telephone: +509 34 06 5959 / +509 32 00 5959 E-mail: info@negesmawon.org / negesmawon.org@gmail.com Web site: www.negesmawon.org Hours: 24/7

Kay Fanm

Shelter for women and girls that are victims of RSA and other abuses.

Address : 2, Angle Jean Baptiste & Jolibois (Canapé Vert), Port-au-Prince, HT 6115, Haiti Telephone: +509 36 36 6247 Email: info@kayfanm.org Hours: Monday-Friday 8h-4h

Solidarite Fanm Ayisyen (SOFA)

SOFA has 22 clinics and Douvanjou centers in 7 municipalities of the country that accompany girls and women victims of violence by providing them with all necessary medical and psychosocial support.

Address: 9, rue Villemenay, Bois-Verna, Port-au-Prince, Haiti Telephone: +509 47 30 8333 Email: sofa@sofahaiti.org / Secr2sofa@yahoo.fr Web site: www.sofahaiti.org Hours: Monday-Friday 8-4h

GHESKIO

GHESKIO center provides Rape Counseling, post-exposure antiretroviral therapy, emergency contraception, and treatment for sexually transmitted diseases to women who have suffered sexual violence.

Address: 33, Boulevard Harry Truman, Port-au-Prince Telephone: +509 44 47 8738 Hours:  24/7

Famn Viktim Leve Kanpe (FAVILEK)

FAVILEK provides medical and legal accompaniment to RSA victims. Its agents accompany women to the medical centres to ensure they get needed care and a medical certificate and provide support and access to free legal services in partnership with the Bureau des Avocats Internationaux (BAI). In addition to receiving medical and legal assistance, these women also receive ongoing psychosocial support and training.

Address: 14, Rue Bartholie, Nazon, Port-au-Prince, Haiti Telephone: +509 37 68 3299/ 36 08 3926/ 36 33 8434 Email: favilek@gmail.com

When you return home to the UK

Read our advice on returning to the UK following rape and sexual assault abroad.

You may want to let your GP or a Sexual Assault Referral Centre know what has happened to you so that you can talk about the experience and seek further support and advice.

If you believe you may be at risk of having contracted a sexually-transmitted infection (STI), you should ask your local health provider to test you, even if you have been tested in Haiti

Country	Organisation
England	NHS Choices or search the internet for ‘NHS SARC’

Scotland	Archway SARC or phone 0141 211 8175

Wales	New Pathways SARC or phone 01685 379 310 Ynys Saff Sexual Assault Referral Centre (Cardiff and Vale University Health Board)

Northern Ireland	Rowan SARC Northern Ireland or phone 0800 389 4424

Find other support organisations and useful contacts in the UK. You may also wish to contact:

The Survivors Trust

The Survivors Trust is a UK-wide national umbrella agency for 130 specialist organisations for support for the impact of rape, sexual violence and childhood sexual abuse throughout the UK and Ireland. Tel: +44(0)808 801 0818.

Lifecentre

Lifecentre is a telephone counselling service for under-18s survivors of sexual abuse and those supporting survivors. Contact them on +44(0)1243 786349.

Mankind

Mankind provides one-to-one counselling, therapeutic groups and couple counselling to male victims of sexual assault (age 18+). Contact them on +44(0)1823 334244

Disclaimer

This information has been prepared by HMG officials who are not legally or medically trained. It should therefore never be used as a substitute for professional medical or legal advice. It is intended to help British nationals overseas make their own informed decisions. Neither HMG nor any official of the Consulate accept liability for any loss or damage which you might suffer as a result of relying on the information supplied.

Medical information has been provided by The Havens Sexual Assault Referral Centres of Kings College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and was accurate at the time of production (February 2022).