Haiti police arrest 35 including five cop killers

PORT Of SPAIN, Trinidad (CMC) – The National Police of Haiti (PNH) says law enforcement officials have arrested 35 people including five for the murder of four police officers and three for lynching three disabled women last week.

PNH deputy spokesman and the Principal Inspector, Garry Desrosiers, said the 35 individuals arrested are accused of various crimes including: criminal conspiracy, murder, attempted murder, kidnapping and kidnapping simulation and rape.

Last week, the Defense National Network of Human Rights (RNDDH) in a report noted that the police officers were killed during the period January 3, 2015 to March 18 this year.

It said that 34 police officers were shot and one died as a result of a knife attack. It said five inspectors were among those killed while 37 others were also injured during the period.

Desrosiers said that the PNH had been actively investigating the murders and that three members of a gang were arrested during the police sweep for allegedly murdering police agents Jean Ralph Coq and  Johnson Jean Pierre in April and November last year.

He said two others were arrested in connection with the murder of police officer David Dumé on February 12, this year and murdering police officer Wagnac Warrior on December 19, 2015.

Desrosiers said that three people were arrested in Cabaret in connection with the murder of the three women last week and that other suspects were being sought.

Hundreds of people took to the streets last Friday to protest the murder of the three disabled women.

Several human rights organisations and groups representing disabled people said that the three women, who were deaf and dumb, had been lynched after being taken for “witches”.

They said the women were only seeking a place to sleep in the zone of Haut Damier, area near Cabaret and have since launched an appeal to the authorities to ensure respect for the rights of disabled people in the country.

They have also called for justice and compensation for the families of three women, whose names they gave as Jésula Germain, Vanessa Prévil and Monique Vincent.

Secretary of State for the Integration of Persons with Disabilities, Gérald Oriol Jr has condemned the murders.

“This is unthinkable in our society that such crimes be committed” he said, noting that one of the women was three months pregnant.

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