Haiti Women’s Ministry condemns groping of girls at Plaine-du-Nord ‘Festi-Color’ event

CAP-HAÏTIEN — Haiti’s Ministry of Women’s Conditions and Rights, on Monday, condemned acts of sexual assault captured on videos during a Festi-Color event held April 4 at Saint-Pierre High School in Plaine-du-Nord, where young women and girls were inappropriately touched under the guise of T-shirt painting.

Videos widely shared on social media show men groping attendees while applying paint to their T-shirts, sparking public outrage and calls for accountability.

The Haitian Times chooses not to display the graphic and disturbing scenes to protect the victims, most of whom seem to be underage girls. 

“The Northern Departmental Directorate of the Ministry of Women’s Conditions and Rights expresses its deep indignation over acts of sexual assault and harassment committed against young girls during a festival,” the ministry’s northern director, Philoria Mompoint, said in a statement. “These acts constitute serious violations of women’s dignity and their physical and psychological integrity.”

Plaine-du-Nord, about seven miles southwest of Cap-Haïtien, hosted the event, which drew large numbers of young people, including students. A T-shirt-painting activity—common at Festi-Color gatherings—appears to have escalated into abuse, with participants being touched inappropriately without clear consent.

Some participants initially agreed for the men to paint their T-shirts while wearing them, but it seems like the men exaggerated by squeezing their breasts— holding them longer and more forcefully than necessary. 

Some young women appeared visibly shocked and angry, while others smiled and laughed. In one instance, a man can be heard saying in Haitian Creole: “Tiye nap tiye moun la wi,” meaning “We’re killing people here” in English. In another video, a teenage girl refused to let one of the men touch her breast. 

“I dare you to touch my breast,” she clearly said, walking away. “I will find someone else to put the paint on my T-shirt, or I won’t do it.” The man insisted that she had to let him grope or she wouldn’t be allowed into the event, using sexual abuse of these girls as their ticket to get in.

Organizer apologizes as videos spark outrage

The event was organized by a local figure and aspiring media personality who identified himself as “Mr. Judson.” In a statement issued on April 5, he apologized for what occurred without saying whether he would hold his event staff accountable for their actions.

“We would like to apologize to all students for the bad example set and to the school for the disrespect caused,” the statement read. “We deeply regret what happened and commit to ensuring it does not happen again.”

Those involved in the alleged assaults have not been publicly identified. The individuals shown in the videos also remain unidentified, though several appear to be minors.

Footage reviewed shows inappropriate touching beyond the stated activity, including groping of breasts and buttocks. In one clip, a participant is heard making a remark suggesting encouragement of the behavior.

While some attendees appeared uncomfortable, others laughed or did not immediately react—highlighting the blurred lines of consent often present in such public settings, especially involving youth.

Calls for accountability and stronger safeguards grow

Festi-Color events—where participants wear white clothing and are covered in colored powder or paint—have grown in popularity across Haiti in recent years. Critics say some practices, particularly body painting, can enable inappropriate behavior and should be more strictly regulated or banned in school settings.

The Women’s Ministry said it will pursue legal action and urged victims to file complaints—and witnesses to cooperate with authorities.

“The ministry will take all necessary measures, in collaboration with relevant authorities, to identify and prosecute those responsible, in accordance with the law,” the statement from Mompoint read.

Public figures and advocates also called for stronger protections.

“I call upon schools to strengthen student protection mechanisms,” former Cap-Haïtien Mayor Yvrose Pierre wrote April 6. “Young girls in a school setting, a space that should be synonymous with safety and personal growth, were subjected to degrading behavior.”

Journalist Aljany Narcius described the acts as vivid sexual assault in a social media post, warning against normalizing such conduct in public spaces involving minors.

“Let’s be clear: this is not animation,” Narcius said. “When we accept, tolerate, or minimize such acts in public spaces, especially in activities that attract minors, we send a dangerous message: young women’s bodies are worthless, boundaries don’t matter, and anyone can be violated without consequences.”

Women’s health physician Lyne Vanessa Alexandre blames Haiti’s education system and government negligence.

“If some of these young girls accept this as a ticket to get into a recreational event, it’s because they don’t understand the value and function of their bodies,” Dr. Alexandre wrote in a post. 

“It’s not their fault; it’s our educational system’s fault. If they had proper sex education in school, they would understand that this gesture is aggression in disguise,” she added, calling on Haitian society to protect the youth by providing them with proper training and information.

Additional Festi-Color events are scheduled across northern Haiti this month, including one in Cap-Haïtien on April 11. Organizers now face increased scrutiny over how such events are conducted and how participants are protected.

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