Gena Heraty was abducted at orphanage she ran along with seven Haitian colleagues and a three-year-old child
An Irish aid worker and eight fellow captives have been released nearly a month after they were kidnapped in Haiti.
Gena Heraty, a missionary who ran the Our Little Brothers and Sisters orphanage in the hills outside Haiti’s capital, Port-au-Prince, was abducted on 3 August along with seven Haitian colleagues and a three-year-old child.
“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,” her family said in a statement.
Simon Harris, Ireland’s tánaiste (deputy prime minister), celebrated the end of their “terrible ordeal” in a statement on social media. “We warmly welcome the news that Gena and all of the Haitian nationals taken captive on August 3, including a small child, have been released and are reported to be safe and well,” Harris said.
