The fear is palpable. Fear among Victims and witnesses, to be heard on the serious scandal that rocked currently the Haitian football Federation (Fédération Haitienne de Football FHF). Yves Jean-Bart, the former President, is to have several underage players sexually assaulted.
A coach from Haiti, knows the Association of interior had confirmed the allegations in a first conversation with the DW first, and told that the game would be affected from his own team: “They have not done things with them that they wanted.” He later withdrew this statement. All a big misunderstanding, he says now, his girls have always been treated well. And he himself doesn’t know from nothing.
Pascale Solages, a leading women’s rights activist in Haiti, knows the. “Often the victim from the shame of silence,” she says. Especially difficult it was, if the perpetrators of the authority to be persons, as in the case of FHF-President: “Jean-Bart has Power, so he can intimidate the victim, he can intimidate families, he can intimidate institutions.”
A football club outside of Haiti, until recently, also a Haitian player was under contract, said: “We are very concerned about the Situation. We find these allegations very disturbing.” The former player would you offer support.
FIFA has suspended Jean-Bart for 90 days
at the end of March, the British newspaper “The Guardian” made the allegations publicly for the first time. The DW led to numerous conversations with various sources to verify the allegations independently. Jean-Bart was asked to do a Interview, left the request unanswered.
“The Guardian” describes in detail how Jean-Bart young players at the national training center, forced to have Sex with him. At least two of the girls had aborted a child by him. In a further article it also means that players and their families would have received after the first Reports about the abuse of death threats. Only with the Sky: The semi-finals of the DFB Cup stream LIVE (display)
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The police in Haiti claims to be investigating the allegations. In a statement, Jean rejected-Bart the allegations. You’re a conspiracy to drive him out of the Haitian football Federation. The FHF was so far behind Jean-beard.
The world football Association, FIFA has suspended Jean-Bart, however, for 90 days. In this time, the ethics Commission should investigate the case and using a separate working group, also on site collecting evidence. According to the FHF-rules of the suspension is the longest reigning Vice-President of the Haitian Federation, Joseph Varieno Saint-Fleur has been chosen for the time, to the interim President.
Jean-Bart is a man with great Power
for Twenty years Jean has mentioned-Beard football in Haiti. Informants draw the image of a powerful man with Connections in politics and the media, far beyond football. The former Journalist has, among other things, a private commercial radio station.
A way, via the Jean-Bart, his Power was able to exercise, is the granting of Visa – a valuable asset in one of the poorest countries in the world. This Visa, so the DW learned in several interviews, have been used by Jean-Bart as a reward for loyal behavior, both in players as well as journalists. “You really left a great Power, if you can give people the opportunity to travel and see the country,” says a source.
another source told the DW that it is simply impossible to criticize the President, because you had to expect in return, with retaliation and the loss of privileges. For this reason, the victims do not know whom they could trust, and would be too scared to testify, if you talk to them on the allegations.
“No evidence” for the accusations
For the communication during this crisis, won the FHF professional support. Evan Niermann, has kept TED Talks about his work, is a specialist in crisis management and, more Recently, speaker of the FHF. In an interview with DW, he said the allegations lacked “any truth and is the basis”.
After learning of the abuse allegations, the organization of the Association had turned himself to the National Network for the Defense of Human Rights (RNDDH), an independent human rights in Haiti. Multiple is pointed out by the FHF on this step – as a sign of the will to enlightenment, and transparency.
the results of The investigation, however, are devastating. According to the interim report for the Jean-Bart admitted during interrogation that a former player is a child. The RNDDH describes the findings from the Interviews with several people as “unacceptable” and notes that the President seemed to “have been repeatedly involved in sexual scandals with young players.”
The FHF have nevertheless come to a different assessment: “The report has found no concrete victims or witnesses,” writes the Association in a Statement and claimed that some of the Interviewees were either “longtime critic” of Jean-Bart and the Association, or their own interests to be pursued. Also reporting on the allegations was “inaccurate, unbalanced and very flawed”.
victim in danger
crisis Manager Niermann also points out that many of the sources were anonymous and thus not credible: “imagine that you have a child who is raped and abortion is forced to have been. You would not go to the police? Wouldn’t you complain?”
In Haiti, a country with a weak justice system, where men dominate the daily life, to show women abuse basically, only very rarely. Also, Yolette Jeanty of the women’s rights organization Kay Fanm, which has been recently organized in Port-au-Prince, a street protest against Jean-Bart told.
she says that young players are particularly vulnerable to exploitation: “The potential victims here are minors, the dream is to be in the national team. It is very possible that the charges against Jean are Bart true. But the athletes have been afraid to say something because you don’t want to mess with the Person who has the Power to end their careers.” Only with the Sky: The semi-finals of the DFB Cup stream LIVE (display)
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The police investigations are being led by the Department for child protection. Jean-Bart has already been interrogated but not yet charged. “What I can say is that the investigations are progressing well,“ said Michel-Ange Loius Jeune, a spokesman for the Haitian police. “To accuse someone of misconduct, you need evidence. This is a universal principle.”
failures of the FIFA
The case in Haiti shows many Parallels with the abuse scandal that rocked 2018, the Afghan women’s football team and the result of the deposition of Association President and other high Official was. FIFA was criticized for the fact that it reacts too slowly, and the victims had to be protected late in front of the perpetrators.
By the allegations in Haiti the international football Association Board learned according to a media request in March 2020. On the demand side, why Jean-Bart, only two months later was suspended, said a FIFA spokesman, that the original information had been “vague” and “for an investigation is not sufficient”.
Minky Worden, Director of Human Rights Watch (HRW), followed the procedures exactly. In comparison to the events of the 2018 FIFA have responded this time faster, she says. But not fast enough. “No matter which way the FIFA of the allegations has heard, you would immediately initiate an investigation and take the game inside and whistleblowers must protect,“ says Been.
Instead, FIFA should have informed even the Federation in a telephone conversation on unverified allegations. “The President should never have the opportunity to get his done.”
FIFA had prepared – in fact,
Actually had the FIFA pre. After the incidents in Afghanistan is a “Child Protection Officer has been designated” a protection program started. Five steps are described there, with the help of associations for the protection of children should ensure. An anonymous reporting system, victims view abuse. The effectiveness of the measures is questionable. The System can only be in the four official FIFA languages. Many of the players in Haiti, for example, speak only Créole.
Also, the protective program is not part of the national statutes. The FHF said on demand, that’s just it, “to study the guidelines and work on the implementation of the recommendations”. The documents you have received only in January this year.
the FIFA sees in the duty of care: “If something is voluntary, you can decide for yourself whether or not you apply it like. But it should never be a choice to protect children or not,” says the Director of Human Rights Watch. “As long as there is a ‘do-as-you-think’attitude, be associations to trample on them.”
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*The post “Jean-Bart sees no wrongdoing: soccer Boss is released to sexual abuse” is alleged by Deutsche Welle. Contact with the executives here.
