American Missionary Attacked in Her Haiti Home

(ANS) – Margaret Joanna Hodges, 81, was attacked in her home in Limbe , Haiti , on June 15th around 10 o’clock p.m. At least seven armed men invaded her home and violently attacked her and her guardian. Mrs. Hodges is the widow of Dr. William Hodges, the founder of Bon Samaritain (Good Samaritan Hospital ) in Limbe, a small town just ten miles from Cap Haitian, Haiti ‘s second largest city. After beating Mrs. Hodges’ assistant, they turned on her, using a stick with a nail on the end. Hodges was left with a broken left wrist and a broken right arm. The invaders stole all the cash they could find in the house and threatened to kill Mrs. Hodges and her maid if they didn’t give them what they wanted. Following their brutal attack on elderly Hodges, they ransacked the home, fleeing in a Suzuki Sidekick belonging to the hospital. According to witness, the attackers stopped the vehicle less than half a mile from the house and fired several shots into the air before fleeing on National Highway One towards Cap-Haitian where the vehicle was later found abandoned. Family members, hospital staff and neighbors, rushed to Mrs. Hodges’ aid. They tried to telephone the police in Cap Haitian without success. They tried calling the National Police in Port-au-Prince , the capital city 160 miles away but didn’t get any help. Finally, around three o’clock a.m., they were able to reach the American Embassy. The Embassy returned their call about ten o’clock and a day later sent a representative to interview Mrs. Hodges and others. The situation in Haiti has been rather precarious since the fall of the government of Jean Bertrand Aristide on February 29. The interim government, along with the assistance of American, Canadian, and now United Nations troops, is slowly restoring security in Haiti . Although most forces have concentrated their efforts in the capital region, they are beginning to protect the rural areas in the north, northwest and southwestern regions of the island nation. The devastating floods in southeastern Haiti last month took up much of the resources of the international forces. The Hodges founded Good Samaritan Hospital almost 50 years ago. The hospital was operated under the auspices of the American Baptist Convention until recent years. Today the hospital, along with the University of the North, are independent. The Hodges family have always considered Haiti their home. However, in recent years, they have had more than one violent attacks during the recent political crisis as well as other political uprisings. According to HAITI OBSERVATEUR, a Haitian newspaper published in New York , “in light of this new aggression against Margaret Hodges, her helper and residence, witnesses are discovering a ‘new phase’ of insecurity in Haiti .