The brutal killing of an infant by his Haitian father in Indiana sends shockwaves through the diaspora—and exposes a dire mental health crisis.
Opinion | The Haitian Pulse | July 2, 2025
The Haitian community is reeling from one of the most shocking and tragic stories to surface in recent memory. Eliasard Moneus, a 29-year-old Haitian immigrant living in Indiana, has been sentenced to 92 years in prison for the brutal murder of his 3-month-old son and the attempted murder of his wife. The horrifying details—beating his wife with a tire iron, then drowning his infant in a bucket filled with detergent—have left many speechless, heartbroken, and asking: how could this happen?
"This is one of the most grotesque murders this court has ever seen." — Judge Steve Meyer, Tippecanoe County, Indiana
There is no justifying or excusing what Moneus did. The pain and horror inflicted on his family, and on the Haitian community as a whole, cannot be overstated. But amid the justified outrage, we must ask deeper questions—not to lessen his guilt, but to understand the layers behind such unimaginable violence.
A Cry from the Shadows
Moneus’s case isn’t just about criminal behavior. It is a stark and painful reflection of what happens when mental illness, trauma, and isolation go unaddressed—particularly in immigrant communities that are too often left to struggle in silence. The Haitian community, proud and resilient as it is, continues to carry the heavy stigma surrounding mental health. Conversations about emotional wellness are rare. Seeking therapy is seen as weakness. And for many Haitian men, pain is internalized until it manifests in toxic, destructive ways.
"In our culture, we are taught to survive—not to heal. But survival without healing can lead to implosion."
Many Haitian immigrants arrive in the U.S. having fled violence, poverty, or political instability. They carry with them unspoken trauma and the pressure to succeed at all costs. Often, they face language barriers, financial instability, racism, and alienation in their new environment. Yet they are expected to function normally, with no psychological support.
Moneus may be an extreme case, but he is not the only one suffering. How many others are silently breaking down while pretending to be okay? How many families are enduring emotional abuse, untreated rage, or suppressed grief behind closed doors?
The Toll of Silence
Domestic violence is often hidden within our communities—dismissed as family problems, normalized through culture, or overlooked due to shame. But when we don’t address mental instability, we don’t just risk individual collapse—we risk collective destruction.
"We must stop pretending that praying it away is enough. Faith without action is abandonment."
This case is a call to action. It demands that we confront the uncomfortable truth: mental health care is not a luxury. It is essential. And until the Haitian community begins to treat it as such, tragedies like this will continue to erupt like earthquakes we claim we never saw coming.
A Path Forward
We cannot change what happened to baby Jacob. But we can choose to honor his memory by facing the system—and the silence—that failed him. That means opening spaces for real dialogue on mental health in Haitian churches, community centers, and families. It means advocating for culturally competent mental health services that understand our language, our culture, and our trauma. It means supporting survivors of domestic violence with resources—not just judgment. And it means teaching young Haitian men that vulnerability is strength, and seeking help is not shameful.
"Mental health must no longer be the thing we bury beneath tradition. It must be the foundation of our future."
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