Haiti: president of the football federation accused of sexual abuse of female players

Yves Jean-Bart, president of the Haitian Football Federation (G), during the Women's World Cup in Saint-Malo, France, August 6, 2018, Catherine Ivill - FIFA / FIFA via Getty Images

Text by: Amélie Baron Follow

The world of football at the heart of the scandal in Haiti: the president of the federation is accused of having sexually assaulted or raped several young girls who reside at the National Technical Center. It is the British newspaper The Guardian which reveals these accusations in an investigation published Thursday. Yves Jean-Bart, who has chaired the federation for 20 years, denies these allegations.

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From our correspondent in Port-au-Prince,

From minor players forced into sexual relations with the president of the federation, the Guardian's investigation circulated a little in Haiti, but without provoking much reaction, except for feminist activists like Pascale Solages.

"  It's a lot of anger, it's a lot of pain, " she said. Not much surprise, but still surprise ... "

Presumed innocent, Yves Jean-Bart nicknamed Dadou is therefore among the series of famous Haitian men to be accused of rape or violence against women. Getting the truth out is always a tough job.

"  It will be a fight not only with Dadou Jean-Bart, it will be a fight with the media, it will be a fight with the institution, it will be the police, it will be justice, it will also be families because it is necessary remember that there are often the families of the victims, adds Pascale Solages . There is also the population who often also become an accomplice because staying in silence is like staying safe. "

Silence, Nice Simon had broken. Famous actress and mayor of one of the main cities of Haiti, she filed a complaint for domestic violence, publicly showing the marks of the beatings received. The investigating judge issued an order in favor of the accused, who happens to be a businessman close to the government in power.

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  • Haiti
  • Womens rights
  • Crime
  • Women's football