Family of Gena Heraty confirm Mayo woman's release

The family of Mayo woman Gena Heraty who was abducted earlier this month in Haiti have confirmed that she has been released.

The Aughagower native was abducted along with seven others and a child from an orphanage in Kenscoff in Haiti on August 3.

In a statement the family stated: “We are relieved beyond words. We are so deeply grateful to everyone, in Haiti and internationally, who has worked tirelessly over these terrible weeks to help secure their safe return.

“The global outpouring of concern, love, prayers, and solidarity shown for Gena and to us by friends, neighbours, communities, colleagues, and indeed those with no connection to us at all has been a huge source of comfort and support.

“For now our priority is Gena - her health, protection, and privacy - and those in her care. We kindly ask that the media respect the need for privacy as all those involved recover from this traumatic 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,” the statement from Ms Heraty’s family concluded.

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Tanáiste Simon Harris welcomed the news in a statement this evening: “I am delighted to confirm that Irish humanitarian worker Gena Heraty has now been released. We warmly welcome the news that Gena and all of the Haitian nationals taken captive on 3rd August, including a small child, have been released and are reported to be safe and well.

“This is the outcome we had all hoped for and I want to sincerely thank all those who played a part in securing their release, including Gena’s colleagues at Nos Petits Freres et Soeurs, the local community representatives, Haitian authorities, An Garda Síochána, our UN and European partners and the many officials in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade for their tireless work to achieve this result.

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

“Gena is a respected humanitarian and deeply courageous person who has dedicated her life to supporting the most vulnerable people in Haiti. This is a timely moment to recognise the work of all Irish humanitarians and missionaries working in challenging contexts and providing life-saving support in Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine and beyond. While we welcome this news, it is also important that we do not lose sight of the challenges facing the people of Haiti.

“I now send Gena, her family and all those released my very best wishes. We will continue to provide all possible support as they recover from their terrible ordeal.”