Irish aid worker Gena Heraty released after month-long kidnapping ordeal in Haiti

Gena Heraty who was kidnapped along with seven other people from an orphanage in Haiti. Picture: Family Handout/PA Wire

The family of Irish aid worker Gena Heraty said they are “relieved beyond words” following her release after nearly a month of captivity in Haiti.

Ms Heraty, a native of Westport, Co Mayo, and in her 50s, was kidnapped along with seven colleagues and a three-year-old child from the orphanage she oversaw in the commune of Kenscoff on August 3.

Reacting to the release of all the hostages, Ms Heraty’s family said they were “deeply grateful to everyone in Haiti and internationally who worked tirelessly over these terrible weeks to help secure” the return of those kidnapped.

In a statement released via the Department of Foreign Affairs, the Heraty family acknowledged the efforts of foreign affairs minister Simon Harris and Geraldine Byrne Nason, Ireland’s ambassador to the US.

“For now our priority is Gena — her health, protection, and privacy - and those in her care,” the family said, while pleading for privacy in order that they might recover from their ordeal.

“We continue to hold Haiti in our hearts and hope for peace and safety for all those who are affected by the ongoing armed violence and insecurity there,” they said.

Gena Heraty who was kidnapped along with seven other people from an orphanage in Haiti.

Mr Harris said he was “delighted” at Ms Heraty’s release and called it “the outcome we had all hoped for.”

“This has of course been an extraordinarily difficult and stressful situation for the Heraty family,” he said. “I wish to pay tribute to their resilience and determination to support Gena and her fellow captives over these past difficult weeks.” 

He described Ms Heraty as “a respected humanitarian and deeply courageous person” who has “dedicated her life to supporting the most vulnerable people in Haiti.”

Ms Heraty was abducted along with the eight others from the Sainte-Hélène orphanage, a facility operated by the humanitarian organisation Nos Petits Frères et Sœurs (Our Little Brothers and Sisters). The orphanage sits in mountainous terrain about 10km from the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince.

No ransom demands were made.

Ms Heraty has lived in Haiti since 1993, after a six-month placement became a lifelong commitment. The orphanage she runs cares for up to 270 children.