Haiti: Gay youth stabbed by his mother is still alive
Mother remains in custody as she gains online support
Jeffrey Val, a gay 17-year-old, was attacked and stabbed by his mother at the family home in Haiti on July 14 after he refused to hand over his cell phone during an argument about his sexual orientation.
The homophobic attack in in the town of Quartier-Morin on the outskirts of Cap-Haïtien in northern Haiti, caused outrage on the Haitian internet, while also serving as a stark reminder of the prevalence of homophobia on the island. The attack occurred a few weeks after the June 24 implementation of the nation’s new penal code, which was adopted only after the removal of a provision that would have made homophobia an aggravating circumstance when a crime is committed.
LGBT+ activist Johnny Clergé of the LGBT+ advocacy organization Arc-en-ciel d’Haïti denied rumors that Jeffrey had died. Jeffrey’s mother was arrested by the Protected Areas Security Brigade (BSAP) and remains in detention.
During the scuffle, the mother grabbed a knife and slashed Jeffrey in the hip. The wound caused severe bleeding, and the victim is currently still hospitalized, Clergé said.
While LGBT+ activists in Haiti are relieved to see the teenager’s mother behind bars.
“She’s in prison, and she should stay there,” Clergé said.
But the reaction on social media is different, particularly on Facebook, where calls to support the attacker are multiplying.
