The Bishop of Port-de-Paix, Charles Peters Barthelus, denounces the kidnapping of Father Claircius DORVILUS and some parish priests from the parish of Saint Michel, along with some members of the parishioners, inside the rectory on Saturday night, 24 hours before the Pencote feast.
Bishop Barthelus also deplores the free movement of bandits who continue to terrorize the population in the heights of the chain of the high piton.
According to the prelate of the Catholic Church in the North-West, the efforts of the National Police are largely insufficient in the face of heavily armed bandits. In this sense, he calls on the local population not to give in to the whims of the bandits and to form a common front against these thugs.
The Catholic leader of the North-West invites the faithful of the department to join in prayer for the priest in difficulty and the other members who are held by the Kidnappers.
“Nou gen konviksyon nan yon tan ki pa twò long…Pè Clercius ak tout lòt moun yo ap jwenn liberasyon yo” one can read in this note published very late at night on June 5, 2022.
On the other hand, the departmental officials of the Police confirm for Zoom Haiti News that an operation is currently underway to free the hostages from the hands of their captors.
According to a partial report, the police are in control of one of the main strongholds of the gangs, while the population of Pendue has burned a house belonging to one of the alleged criminals.
Heavily armed individuals broke into the local Catholic church of the first section of Nérac, in the commune of Bassin Bleu, (North-West) and kidnapped several citizens during the night of Saturday to Sunday. Among them, Father Claircius Dorvilus, who heads the parish of Saint-Michel. The thugs also kidnapped a brother and a sister of the religious leader as well as another person whose first name is Joachim.
The bandits also left with several valuable objects.
The commune of Bassin Bleu woke up in shock.
Kidnappers are definitely not idle in the Northwest.
This kidnapping of Father Claircius Dorvilus and his relatives is reminiscent of the kidnapping of the interim executive officer of Bassin-Bleu, Milouse Rosier, and three other people who were kidnapped in the middle of the night by armed men at their home in the first communal section of Laplate.
They were finally released after being held for 4 days.
During the night of May 16 to 17, in the locality of Pendu in Carrefour Tel, near the communes of Gros-Morne and Bassin-Bleu, 20 passengers aboard a pick-up truck were kidnapped. Only the driver was released.
This kidnapping occurred at a time when the patrols of the National Police are strengthened at the level of some roads, especially on this section linking Bassin-Bleu and Chansolme. This has caused a net decrease in cases of kidnapping of passengers in the area. This move also coincided with the release of a certain Dorcin who was identified by many as the leader of the gang operating in this area.
In Port-de-Paix, at the beginning of last week, a 14-year-old girl who was kidnapped was found on Andral Street in Lacoupe, a residential neighborhood of the city, capital of the North-West department. Odena Dayens Flore Aminedada was kidnapped in a house in Morne Congnac, reports our correspondent in the area Wilguens Devilas. The girl’s parents, who preferred to remain discreet, only contacted the Judge a.i. of the Port-de-Paix Court, Paul Blanc, for the necessary follow-up.
Thanks to the information of the inhabitants of the area, the diligence of the Judge and the Unit of Maintenance of Order, UDMO, the victim was located as well as the suspects. The little girl was finally recovered. Several of the alleged kidnappers were arrested during this police operation that lasted 3 hours and 30 minutes.
