On Monday, 1^st April 2024, at 5 p.m. local time, armed bandits broke into the Petit Séminaire Collège Saint Martial by climbing over a poorly protected wall in a back street.

After neutralising the two guards, they began burning vehicles parked in the courtyard and vandalising the premises.

There were 4 confreres present at the time: Spiritan fathers Isaac Aujour, Migenson Saint Germain, Rodel François and Werby Mitial, in addition to the house staff, two members of the school administration and two mechanics.

Two other confreres, members of the St. Martial community, were not on site: Fathers Jean Patrick Eugène and Benjamin Osio.

The confreres present did not have time to flee and had to hide in the residence or other premises, hoping for police intervention.

The police, who are currently very weak and overwhelmed by the attack on the nearby Palais National, did not intervene despite repeated calls from us.

For more than 6 hours, the bandits continued to loot, set on fire, steal…

Finally, the confreres and staff were able to escape, some taking refuge in the Spiritan Formation House, a thirty-minute walk away, others in the street or in the Cathedral, next to the school.

There were no physical casualties in the attack, but the material damage was considerable: four cars burnt, the others vandalised, the school administration set on fire, the Procure looted, as well as the community residence and the school premises: refrigerators, solar panels, batteries, inverters, a water purification system, mattresses, computer and electronic equipment, etc.

The Haitian Spiritan Library, a national heritage site, was not affected.

But it is likely that other intrusions will take place in the coming hours or days if the school, by one means or another, is not secured.

We are devastated, and we are still very worried about the continuing deterioration of the situation in our country.