FIFPRO pays tribute to the strength and courage of players who secured lifetime ban of federation president

Jonas Baer-Hoffmann, General Secretary of FIFPRO, said: "This decision is testament to the strength and bravery of the players who risked so much to protect future generations of girls and boys, defending their dignity and their right to play football free from abuse. We stand shoulder to shoulder with them, and all players who fight for justice. The footballing world owes these men and women a great debt and one which we must repay not only by seeing justice done in Haiti, but also by ensuring systemic change at the highest level.” 

FIFPRO’s investigations uncovered a structure of exploitation and the abuse of countless children and women over years. We received multiple allegations of senior individuals in the Haitian Football Federation intentionally and repeatedly misusing the power that their role in football afforded them to lure in young children, often from impoverished backgrounds, so they could groom, manipulate as well as sexually and emotionally abuse them. We want to acknowledge that without the work of investigative journalists these horrific abuses may never have come to light in the first place and that the cooperation with human rights organisations was critical to this decision today.