9 People, Including 3-Year-Old Child, Kidnapped from Orphanage by Armed Attackers: Reports  By Becca Longmire 16

Nine people, including a 3-year-old child, have been kidnapped from an orphanage in Haiti, according to reports.

On Sunday, Aug. 3, the victims were taken from the Sainte Hélène orphanage in Kenscoff by “armed bandits,” Haitian outlet Le Nouvelliste reported, citing Kenscoff Mayor Jean Masillon and a source close to the orphanage.

The facility — which is near the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince — is operated by the humanitarian organization Nos Petits Frères et Soeurs, which translates to “Our Little Brothers and Sisters,” per Irish broadcaster RTÉ.

Simon Harris, who is currently serving as Ireland’s Tánaiste, Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade and Minister for Defence, said in a statement that Irish citizen Gena Heraty and a 3-year-old child were among those kidnapped, per a news release.

RTÉ reported that Heraty, who is in her mid-50s and is from the town of Westport on Ireland’s west coast, oversees the orphanage.

Harris said, “The kidnapping of Irish citizen Gena Heraty, along with seven of her colleagues and a three-year-old child from the grounds of an orphanage in Kenscoff, Haiti, is deeply worrying.”

“Gena has served the people of Haiti for over 30 years. She has dedicated her life to supporting the most vulnerable people in Haiti and it is imperative that she is released immediately,” he added, per the release.

“This morning, I had a good conversation with Gena’s sister Noreen and I assured her that all is being done to ensure Gena’s release,” Harris continued in the post, which was shared on Monday, Aug. 4.

“My Department is in close contact with the Heraty family, local authorities and Nos Petits Frères et Sœurs, the [organization] Gena works for,” he went on, per the release. 

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“The country’s two ambassadors are also in close contact. We will continue to leave no stone [unturned] to ensure Gena and her colleagues are released,” Harris concluded.

Masillon called the kidnapping a “planned act,” according to the Irish Independent.

“The attackers broke into the orphanage around 3:30 a.m. [local time] without opening fire,” Masillon said.

“They broke through a wall to enter the property before heading to the building where the director was staying, leaving with nine hostages,” the mayor continued.

Heraty has been living in Haiti since 1993, running the orphanage which accommodates up to 270 children, according to the outlet.

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Per RTÉ, at least 3,141 people have been killed in Haiti in the first half of this year amid growing concerns over gang violence, citing the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.

In recent months, gangs have been allegedly “launching attacks on previously peaceful communities,” the Irish Independent reported, citing the United Nations.

Ireland’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and humanitarian organization Nos Petits Frères et Soeurs didn’t immediately respond when contacted by PEOPLE for additional information.