Rwanda: About 4,900 people prosecuted for child sexual abuse in 2023/2024

By The Inspirer.

The spokesperson for the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB), Dr. Murangira B. Thierry, announced that in the 2023/2024 fiscal year, 4,567 cases related to child sexual abuse were followed up.

He made this statement during a discussion with members of the Parliamentary Committee on National Unity, Human Rights, and Genocide Prevention, based on the report of the 2023-2024 activities of the National Human Rights Commission.

He explained that among these cases referred to the Public Prosecutor’s Office, there were 4,849 victims of sexual abuse, with 4,646 girls and 203 boys, while the suspects numbered 4,901, including 4,767 men and 134 women.

Dr. Murangira noted that the reason the number of suspects exceeds that of victims is that a single case may involve more than one suspect. He said, “The number of suspects is higher than that of victims because sometimes one case can have multiple suspects.”

The Secretary-General of the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB), Col. Jeannot Ruhunga, emphasized that investigating child sexual abuse is not easy due to the nature of the crime and the evidence required.

The members of parliament urged RIB to outline measures aimed at preventing child sexual abuse, which remains widespread in Rwandan society. They highlighted issues such as victims not receiving proper justice and the increasing number of reported cases.

Col. Jeannot Ruhunga mentioned that if all sectors could help reduce the number of children dropping out of school, it would contribute to lowering the incidence of certain crimes, including sexual abuse.

He pointed out that statistics show that 80% of those in prisons or detention centers have not completed secondary school.

He also identified several challenges that prevent some victims of sexual abuse from receiving justice, including the silence of victims who do not report, delays in reporting, the provision of evidence that is no longer available, and cases where the victims are over 18 or where perpetrators are hidden.

MP Mushimiyimana Lydia asked what is being done to completely end this crisis.

Col. Jeannot Ruhunga responded that there are various measures in place to prevent the crime, including public awareness campaigns across the country, emphasizing the severity of these crimes.

He stated, “We have many methods we use for prevention, such as awareness campaigns, especially in areas where the crime is prevalent. We train local leaders to identify and address the consequences of not reporting the crime. We go into schools, and I can give you an example of a crime that has emerged recently: children are now reporting their parents, a father, an older brother, or an uncle who abused them.”

He further explained that after these awareness campaigns, even boys who are victims of sexual abuse have begun to report the crimes. “Boys who are sexually abused usually don’t speak out, but as we continue with our campaigns, they begin to understand that it’s a crime, and this leads to an increase in the number of cases being reported. It’s not a new crisis; it’s just that people are starting to speak out.”

The Attorney General of Rwanda, Habyarimana Angelique, mentioned that due to the nature of child sexual abuse, when such cases reach the courts, they are often lost because of the lack of sufficient evidence.

She said, “It is evident that in cases of child sexual abuse, the success rate in court is lower compared to other crimes. Of 100 cases we take to court, we win 93, but we lose seven. However, in cases involving child sexual abuse, due to the complexities involved, the conviction rate is lower. This means the nature of the crime and how it is handled requires special attention.”

She further explained that after being abused, some victims experience shame and do not want to be identified, meaning there must be a commitment to investigating these crimes without the need for formal complaints.

She concluded by saying that after the abuse, children often experience trauma and require assistance and care. She affirmed that this is not a problem that the justice system can solve alone, and there needs to be collaboration across different sectors.