Seminarian’s suicide troubles Haiti’s Catholic Church, exposes toll of overlapping crises

PORT-AU-PRINCE — The Archdiocese of Port-au-Prince is mourning the death of Rodny Boussicot, a 25-year-old seminarian who died by suicide Aug. 9 after jumping from a window at Saint-Pierre Church in Pétion-Ville.

Boussicot, originally from Fond Baptiste in Arcahaie, had recently completed his philosophical studies and was preparing for a post-philosophical internship. According to the archdiocese, he had been battling a high fever and depression in the days leading up to his death, as his body was found on the ground early morning.

“The testimony of the parish clergy and the evidence of certain facts suggest a suicide,” the archdiocese said in an Aug. 11 statement. 

“The seminarian apparently threw himself out of a window. Defenestration and the lifeless body lying on the ground are clear indications.”

The tragedy comes as Haiti endures an escalating humanitarian and security crisis. Since gangs seized control of the Martissant road connecting Port-au-Prince to the south in June 2022, violence has surged. The United Nations reports that within the past year, more than 8,000 people have been killed. 

Gang control has forced the closure of more than 30 hospitals and hundreds of schools. An estimated 1.3 million people have been displaced as of June, many living in makeshift camps, and over 5 million face severe food insecurity.

New case sparks renewed debate over the growing mental health crisis

The nation’s mental health system is nearly collapsed. The Mars and Kline Psychiatry Center — the last remaining mental health hospital after Beudet’s closure — ceased operations last year. Experts warn that insecurity, displacement, and poverty are worsening depression, anxiety and suicidal tendencies, particularly among youth.

Boussicot’s death follows other high-profile suicides that shook Haiti in 2023, including law student Danaïka Duplan and 30-year-old Karl-Ludson Azor, who set himself on fire in front of the Monument of the Heroes of Independence in Cap-Haïtien. 

While suicide in Haiti is not a new issue, collecting real-time data remains challenging because Haitian families often avoid discussing it for various reasons. Available data shows that in 2015, the country had a rate of 11.4 suicides per 100,000 people, higher than the global average of 9.47 at that time. By 2019, this rate had slightly dropped to 11.2, according to the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). 

The regional health organization reported that Haiti ranks fifth among the 20% of countries in the Americas with a high suicide mortality rate, behind the United States—with a rate of 14.5—and ahead of Canada, with a rate of 10.3. However, Haiti’s reported suicide rate is still relatively low compared to other Caribbean countries like Guyana (40.8) and Suriname (25.9), which are the most suicidal nations in the region, ranking first and second, respectively.

The debate over suicide, sparked again by Boussicot’s death, occurs as the country faces a complex crisis. 

The Haitian Psychological Association’s crisis unit recorded nearly 11,000 distress calls from people expressing suicidal thoughts in 2023. The International Organization for Migration (IOM) has also reported rising suicidal tendencies among displaced Haitians, linking them to loss of homes, livelihoods and the constant threat of violence.

In a 2023 study, psychologist Philogène Bernadin pointed out that depression, anxiety, eating disorders and substance use—along with family and socio-economic factors like unemployment and poverty—contribute to heightening suicidal thoughts in the country. Daily stress weakens young Haitians’ resilience, raising their risk of suicide, Bernadin summarized.

Another psychologist, Jeff Matherson Cadichon, added that environmental and security conditions are major risk factors for mental health in Haiti.

Haiti’s Catholic Church is spotlighted amid the rising crisis

In addition to the young seminarian’s death, this month has so far brought other grim headlines for Haiti’s Catholic community. On Aug. 3, a gang from the “Viv Ansanm” coalition kidnapped eight people, including an Irish missionary and a 3-year-old child, from the Saint Helene orphanage in Kenscoff. The religious group—Our Little Brothers and Sisters (NPH, its Spanish acronym)—running the orphanage, has since closed its hospitals, Saint Damien and Saint Luc, citing security concerns and demanding the release of the kidnapped individuals.

Since NHP released a statement on the day of the kidnappings, no updates have been given. Aside from announcing the closure of all Haiti’s institutions, services and care programs in protest, the Latin American-based nonprofit organization has refused to share any additional details about the incident or the victims’ situation.

Catholic church leaders condemned the kidnapping as a “new act of barbarity” and a sign of Haiti’s “deepening moral collapse.” It urged prayer, aid and government action to restore order.

On Aug. 10, Pope Leo XIV addressed the violence during the Angelus prayer at Saint Peter’s Basilica, calling for the hostages’ release and international support to help Haiti dismantle gangs.

“The situation of the Haitian population is increasingly desperate,” Pope Leo said. 

“I make a heartfelt appeal to those in positions of responsibility to ensure the immediate release of the hostages, and I call for concrete support from the international community to create the social and institutional conditions that will allow Haitians to live in peace.”

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