Maitre Gervais Charles has met with representative of the Haitian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss the case of Johny Jean who was raped by 5 members of the Uraguayan Navy, serving with MINUSTAH at Port Salut.
When the crime was committed Johny Jean’s family reported the attack to authorities. This resulted in a “full and exhaustive, complete investigations of the facts” which found that no crime existed. Of course, this is normal UN procedure. The UN is never to blame. Remember the 103 Sri Lankans who were thrown out of Haiti for child molestation and child pornography. They were received in Sri Lanka as heroes.
Without a great deal of luck, this crime would have been forgotten, as the MINUSTAH members carried out new crimes against Haitian citizens, protected by Force Immunity which blocks local prosecution for any crime – INCLUDING MURDER!!! The young people in Port Salut are in the habit of trading music videos with the Uruguayan sailors. On one occasion a young Haitian got more than he expected. He had downloaded a video of John Jean being beaten and raped by the Uruguayan sailors!! And, the boy being raped was his cousin.
Now, the video, supported by medical evidence provided by a visiting doctor, showed that a real crime had been committed. The video was released on ABC TV and the fat was in the fire.
One phone call to the Uruguayans, by well-known trial attorney – Ed Marger, of Georgia, saw Uruguayan President Mujica dispatch his army Chief of Staff, General Borone, to Haiti for meetings. Congressman Bob Barr, Ed Marger and Mike Puglise flew into Haiti to meet with the general and Judge Advocate of the Uruguayan Navy.
Even as the meetings were in progress, Mujica apologized to Johny Jean, and the people of Haiti, for the crime his sailors had committed. This was in the form of press releases and a letter to the Haitian government. Mujica promised compensation… but then my reading of the English translation might be in error…when what finally happened, happened.
Actually, events simply proved that the Uruguayan President is a simple ex-terrorist who had gained political office while retaining his total disrespect of his Nation’s reputation or word.
Talks with the General, and his associate were warm and friendly. The Uruguayans were embarrassed by the crime. When the meeting was finished, Bob Barr remained with the General for lunch and then accompanied him on the American Airlines flight to Miami, where they both took flights onward to different destinations. Their talks, over lunch, and on the flight, were warm, friendly and open.
Following everyone’s return to the bases, communications were continued via e-mail and phone.
AFTER TWO WEEKS OF COMMUNICATION THE PHONES AND E-MAIL ADDRESSES IN URUGUAY WERE DISCONNECTED AND ALL FURTHER CONTACTS WERE CUT OFF. EFFORTS TO REVIVE COMMUNICATION WERE IMPOSSIBLE. OBVIOUSLY THE WORD OF URUGUAYAN PRESIDENT MUJICA WAS NOT WORTH ONE HAITIAN GOURDE. URUGUAY’S NATIONAL WORD IS WORTH ZERO.
THIS SEEMS TO BE A PART OF A NATIONAL PLAN TO AVOID RESPONSIBILITY FOR A CRIME THAT HAS RUINED A HAITIAN FAMILY’S LIFE!!!
AND THE, THE URUGUAYAN COURTS RELEASED THE 5 RAPISTS BECAUSE THEY COULD NOT CONTACT JOHN JEAN FOR AN INTERVIEW.
THIS IS A LIE OR AN INDICATION OF NATIONAL INCOMPETENCE.
JOHNY JEAN, AND HIS FAMILY, HAD ALREADY OBTAINED PASSPORT TO MEET THE REQUEST FOR INTERVIEWS IN URUGUAY. THE LOCAL URUGUAYAN COLONEL HAD PHONE NUMBERS. GENERAL BORONE AND THE NAVAL JUDGE ADVOCATE HAD PHONE NUMBERS AND E-MAIL ADDRESSES. JOHNY JEAN IS EASILY FOUND. IT TOO AL JAZEERA 10 MINUTES, AND THREE PHONE CALLS TO REACH HIM!!
This entire fiasco is an insult to Haiti and the Haitian people.
Ed Marger, and Mike Puglise flew to Haiti for a press conference organized by Gervais Charles, Past President of the local Bar Association. This conference, chaired by Gervais Charles, received massive local coverage as people finally realized what had happened.
As a result of this, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs requested a formal meeting with Maitre Gervais Charles. This meeting resulted in the Government of Haiti promising its support in the fight to gain fair treatment for Haitian Johny Jean.
What finally happens is open to speculation. However, it is time for the Government of Haiti to demand the Nation’s rights and the rights of Haitian citizens, when Haitian laws are broken by MINUSTAH representatives.
As things stand, the various UN groups are responsible for trying their people under their own national laws. If the final situations resulting from the Sri Lankan child molestation and pornography case, the John Jean rape, and another in which a Haitian teenager was found hanging in a MINUSTAH security are examples of how crimes will be investigated, and pursued in Justice, we must have a change.