Court acquits man accused of raping elderly woman

By The Inspirer.

The Huye Intermediate Court acquitted a man from Nyanza who had been accused of raping a 63-year-old woman.

The prosecution had charged Yasoni Gasigwa, a 50-year-old man, with the alleged crime. Gasigwa is a resident of Cyerezo Cell in Mukingo Sector, Nyanza District.

According to the prosecution, Gasigwa left a bar intoxicated and encountered the elderly woman returning from visiting a neighbor. It was alleged that he dragged her into a bush and raped her.

The prosecution claimed the woman sustained injuries on her buttocks and genital area, reportedly bleeding as a result of the assault. After the incident, the woman informed neighbors, some of whom testified against Gasigwa.

The prosecution presented a medical report, which they argued confirmed the woman had been raped and showed injuries in her private parts. They demanded that Gasigwa be sentenced to 15 years in prison for the crime of rape.

Gasigwa admitted to the court that he had sexual intercourse with the woman but insisted it was consensual. He stated, “We used to drink together at the bar, and we also had consensual sexual relations.”

Regarding the witnesses who testified against him, Gasigwa claimed they had personal conflicts with him. He alleged that they became jealous upon discovering the sexual encounter and pressured the woman to file the rape accusation the next day.

Gasigwa also presented a written statement to the court, reportedly authored by the woman and notarized, in which she expressed regret for falsely accusing him. In the document, she requested Gasigwa’s release from prison.

However, the prosecution disputed the validity of the document.

After deliberation, the court deemed the document credible and used it as the basis to acquit Gasigwa, ordering his immediate release.

Gasigwa, who had been arrested in 2023, was detained in Muhanga Prison until his release following the court’s decision.

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