May 19, 2026
After nearly a week in captivity, Reverend Father Jean Julien Ladouceur, parish priest of Sainte-Claire Parish in Petite Place Cazeau, was released on the evening of Wednesday, October 29, 2025. The circumstances surrounding his release remain unclear, according to available information.
The priest had been kidnapped on Thursday, October 23, in Delmas, an area sadly known for the frequency of abductions. The incident had stirred deep emotion within the Catholic community and the local population.
Despite this release, concern remains: the three people abducted at the same time as the priest — Serfise Guillaume, Johane Marcelus, and Pierre Andy Joseph — are still in the hands of their captors. Their fate remains uncertain, fueling an atmosphere of anxiety and despair among their loved ones.
This kidnapping, which occurred in the heart of the capital, once again highlights the state’s powerlessness in the face of the resurgence of this scourge. Law enforcement continues to struggle to contain the armed groups that impose their rule in several neighborhoods of Port-au-Prince.
