UNICEF Alarmed Over Child Abductions In Haiti

November 30, 2007 10:31 p.m. EST

Port-Au-Prince, Haiti (AHN) - The kidnappings of children is no longer confined to the capital Port-Au-Prince but has spread to Gros Morne, Cap Haitian, Gonaives and Cabaret, Haitian authorities warn.

Eleven reported abductions of children between the ages of three and 17 so far this month has alarmed the United Nation's Children's Fund (UNICEF) which cited the case of the a seven year old boy whose body was found mutilated on Nov. 23 after being abducted from his home in Cabaret two weeks earlier.

The case is just one example of these heinous acts, it said Friday, adding that violent attacks against children have increased in October and November.

About 20 reported cases of kidnappings in November occurred in the Port-au-Prince vicinity alone, authorities said.

All forms of violence committed against children, their families, and their communities seriously threaten or affect their wellbeing and long term development, UNICEF said as it demanded that the perpetrators are brought to justice.

According to the Carter Center, some 300,000 child slaves in Haiti are subject to long hours, repeated beatings, and frequent sexual assault, as over 70 percent of them are girls, it said.