A search continued Monday for a New Hampshire woman and her young daughter after the pair were reportedly kidnapped in Haiti.
El Roi Haiti, a faith-based humanitarian organization in Haiti, said Alix Dorsainvil was abducted on Thursday with her child. Dorsainvil is married to the director of El Roi Haiti, which has asked for the world’s prayers following this incident.
In Middleton, New Hampshire, where Dorsainvil grew up, the pastor at the town’s church said they are praying for the Dorsainvil family.
“We have a direct line to the lord, everybody does,” said Rev. Dave Scott of the Middleton Gospel Chapel. “You can pray directly and we did.”
Haiti has been a violent place for many years. The assassination of the nation’s president two years ago, though, created a power vacuum. Now, violent gangs are vying for power.
While it is believed that one of the gangs abducted Dorsainvil and her child to get ransom money, there had been no reports of a demand for cash as of Monday evening.
In Washington DC, U.S. State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller discussed the situation.
“We are in regular contact with Haitian authorities and will continue to work with them and our U.S. government interagency partners, but because it’s an ongoing law enforcement investigation, there’s not any more detail I can offer,” Miller said.
Ty McEachern, the press secretary for New Hampshire Sen. Jeanne Shaheen in a statement said Shaheen “has been in contact with the State Department and will do everything in her power to assist with their critical efforts.”
“She and all of New Hampshire are thinking of the Dorsainvil family at this difficult time,” McEachern said.
The offices of other members of the New Hampshire congressional delegation told 7NEWS they are also aware of Dorsainvil’s abduction and in contact with the State Department while they monitor developments.
In Massachusetts, Dorsainvil is fondly remembered at Regis College, where she learned to be a nurse.
“Alix was sacrificing her life to support and help the people of Haiti,” said Regis College President Antoinette Hays. “And she was committed. She lived there for several years and it’s really shocking.”
El Roi Haiti said Dorsainvil first visited Haiti soon after the earthquake that rocked the country in 2010. She has been on staff with El Roi Haiti since 2020, according to a statement from the organization.
El Roi Haiti said Dorsainvil and her daughter were kidnapped last week from a ministry site near Port au Prince.
The U.S. State Department issued a “do not travel” advisory for Haiti on Thursday, the same day Dorsainvil was reportedly kidnapped.
“Kidnapping is widespread, and victims regularly include U.S. citizens,” the State Department said in its advisory. “Kidnappers may use sophisticated planning or take advantage of unplanned opportunities, and even convoys have been attacked.”
“Kidnapping cases often involve ransom negotiations and U.S. citizen victims have been physically harmed during kidnappings,” the advisory continued. “Victim’s families have paid thousands of dollars to rescue their family members.”
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