Nyamasheke: Man Who Spent Four Nights with a 15-Year-Old Girl Arrested

By The Inspirer 

• Maniraguha Pierre, a 23-year-old man who had been wanted by security agencies after spending four days with a 15-year-old girl studying in the third year of primary school, has been arrested and is currently being held at the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) station in Macuba, Nyamasheke District.

The girl’s uncle, Ntabareshya Zéphanie, told *Imvaho Nshya* that the family was relieved by the arrest of the young man because he had ruined their daughter’s life.

Ntabareshya Zéphanie was the one who reported the abuse of his niece, affirming that she was not the first victim. He stated that at least three other girls had also been lured and sexually exploited by the suspect, who would later abandon them after a few days.

The house where he is suspected of abusing the girls had been rented in Cyankuba Village, Kagarama Cell, Karambi Sector.

Ntabareshya said, *”We received the news of his arrest from security agencies, confirming that he was being held at the Macuba RIB station. We are very happy and grateful to the authorities and security agencies because he caused serious harm to our child.”*

He explained that the suspect had disrupted the girl’s education and had even planned to abandon her, leaving her in a state of distress.

He added, *”What hurt us the most was hearing that he had escaped. Now that he has been caught, we feel relieved and are waiting for justice to take its course. At least he won’t be able to lure another child with pastries and a few pennies.”*

According to Ntabareshya, the suspect enticed their daughter with an undisclosed amount of money, bought her pastries, and even promised to buy her clothes. However, when he wanted to get rid of her, he starved her and told her to go ask for food from her family, a trick he had used before.

After rescuing the girl and taking her to Kibogora Hospital’s *Isange One Stop Center*, they counseled and reassured her. She promised to return to school and not be deceived by material things again.

One resident of Cyankuba Village in Kagarama Cell also expressed joy at the suspect’s arrest, saying, *”Spending four nights with a child—any parent would be heartbroken. We were also worried that he could do the same to our children. We had no peace until he was caught. Young people should be advised against engaging in behaviors that could ruin their lives. This young man will face severe consequences, and if he truly wanted a wife, he should have looked for an adult instead of harming children.”*

Karambi Sector Executive Secretary, Hagabimfura Pascal, commended the security agencies for arresting Maniraguha. He urged young men to avoid engaging in sexual misconduct and to refrain from luring underage girls, as it is a serious crime.

He emphasized that teenage girls are not mature enough to decide to be in relationships, and anyone suspected of abusing them will be held accountable before the law.

He also urged parents to monitor their children closely and not simply accept that they have gone somewhere without verifying, as no child should be missing for four days without their parents knowing their whereabouts.

The girl had been with the suspect from February 16 until her disappearance was reported on February 20, 2025. Her uncle was the one who reported the case to the Karambi Sector office.

If found guilty, the suspect faces a prison sentence of not less than 20 years and not more than 25 years, as stipulated in Article 133 of Law No. 68/2018 of August 30, 2018, which defines offenses and penalties in general.