Views from Cap-Haitien, Haiti and Project Pierre Toussaint Dec. 2009.wmv

This multimedia essay was produced as part of a special investigative report by the Connecticut Post entitled: Betrayal of Hope by reporter Michael P. Mayko and photographer Christian Abraham. It focuses on Project Pierre Toussaint, an outreach program for Haiti's street children based in the Haiti's second largest city of Cap-Haitien. The report also takes a look at Haiti, its poverty, and the issue of child exploitation. Betrayal of Hope details the start of the life of Douglas Perlitz, the start of his career as an aid worker, and ultimately becoming the founder and Executive Director of the residential school, which received positive international attention during the years it was in operation. According to an official Haitian police and UN investigation, Perlitz is alleged to have sexually molested as many as 29 children under his care. He is currently in a federal detention facility in Rhode Island awaiting trial, which is slated for June in New Haven, Conn. Online story, more photos, and other documents after Feb. 10th at:
http://www.ctpost.com/betrayal Copyright 2010 - Connecticut Post (Hearst Connecticut Newspapers)

Update to the story here: http://www.ctpost.com/default/article... On December 21, 2010 Douglas Perlitz was sentenced almost 20 years behind bars for his crime.

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  Travel & Events

[Robert Maddox]

It's good to see the flag back to blue and red.

[Robert Maddox]

I always laughed when tourists went to examine a pile of raisins and found out it was a pile of sugar!

[gilgabe66]

If you really want to educate the world about Haiti, you should start with the truth. 1st out of ingratitude the US agreed with France by imposing an embargo to Haiti & threaten to invade if we refuse to pay reparation to France in 1820.2nd the US recognized Haiti til 1868.3rd the US invaded Haiti by sending its racist white southern trash in 1915. Coup d'etats after coup d'etats courtesy of your CIA. The US destroyed the Haitian agricultural sector. Go educate yourself then post it on youtube!

[gilgabe66]

Typical White Trash Propagandas! I was born & raised in Cap-Haitien & I left it 31 years ago & I've not been back yet. THE MARKET PLACE ISN'T AN OLD FACTORY. IT'S a 19th Century Market. Yes, Haiti is fucked thanks to your US invasions CIA's coup d'etats & all the bullshit your governments have rendered Haiti since day one of our independence. I am sure if my ancestors knew that your racist asses would have been so ingrateful they would had let the Brits fucked you up on the plains of Savannah.

[geordany11]

there's two side to everything.

[snapolson]

And BTW, we were with a competent radio journalist who was intimately knowledgeable with the region and the situation we were sent to investigate, so to say we had no knowledge and that we were not qualified to report is just plain wrong.

[snapolson]

Why would you assume I have no knowledge of the country just because I don't live there? That's making an assumption on your part. There are places one could go in their own country and not know an area intimately. As a professional photojournalist it doesn't matter where I'm sent. There are things that are universal to the human condition and you don't need borders to observe and record them. Some of the same conditions in Haiti can be found anywhere.

[beenn15]

Always take a foreign journalist report on Haiti with a grain of salt. Things aren't always as they seem. Things are certainly grim in Haiti, nevertheless, I don't think a western journalist with no knowledge of the country is qualified to file a report just a few hours after landing there.

If you want to know about Haiti, find a radio station or newspaper online that's located in Haiti.