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Stéphanie Paultre, who directs Haiti’s National Office of Partnership in Education, and two companions were released November 7 in the Gros-Morne area after spending nearly two months in captivity, according to political activist Jacques Délice, who confirmed the development to The Haitian Times. The three were subsequently escorted to Gonaïves, though Délice said he could not confirm details of any ransom payment involved in their release.
The Haitian National Police had not officially confirmed the releases at the time of reporting. Féquière Casséus, the police spokesperson for the Artibonite Department, told The Haitian Times that authorities were awaiting information from the hostages’ families before making a formal announcement.
The kidnappings occurred in early September as part of a wave of abductions across Haiti. Paultre and lawyer Caleb Jean-Baptiste were taken on September 7 in the Gros-Morne area while returning from a school-year opening event in nearby Ennery. Two police officers assigned to Paultre’s security and her driver were also abducted. Journalist Wesly Renaud Jean was separately kidnapped in Port-au-Prince on September 6.
Unlike his three companions, Jean-Baptiste remains held by the Kokorat San Ras gang. The well-known lawyer’s continued captivity has drawn scrutiny following accusations by Wilson "Lanmò San Jou" Joseph, leader of the rival 400 Mawozo gang, who claimed in a video that Jean-Baptiste received $120,000 and weapons related to efforts securing the release of a former gang leader extradited to the United States.
The kidnappings underscore the persistent insecurity in Haiti’s Artibonite Department, where armed groups control key routes and have repeatedly targeted residents and travelers. Though the Haitian National Police and a United Nations-backed Gang Suppression Force have conducted operations in the region since early October, including raids on strongholds in Gros-Morne and Petite Rivière de l’Artibonite, armed groups continue to pose significant threats to civilians.
The kidnappings occurred during a period of severe gang violence in Haiti. The Kokorat San Ras gang and other armed groups have expanded their control over territory and infrastructure, particularly in the Artibonite Department, making travel and daily life dangerous for residents and officials.
This case reflects the ongoing security crisis affecting Haiti’s government institutions and civil society. The targeting of education officials and legal professionals demonstrates how gang violence undermines state capacity and the rule of law across the Caribbean’s most gang-affected nation.
Sources and attribution
- The Haitian Times
- Kidnapping : Stéphanie Paultre et deux otages libérés, Caleb Jean-Baptiste encore retenu en captivité
- Archives des Sécurité – Vant Bèf Info (VBI)
- Zapping… – HaitiLibre.com : Haiti news 7/7
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