SOUTHERN PROVINCE

MUHANGA —  Police in Muhanga, is investigating a case in which a senior one student at College ASPEC-Shogwe, was allegedly assaulted by a school official.

The student, Doris Muyizere, 16, was allegedly attacked by one Mathias Mutabaruka who acts as the school’s legal representative, on the evening of August 16 2008 at the school campus.

Five people including Mutabaruka, the head teacher, Gerald Ngendahimana and three students have been summoned by police for interrogation.

During the interrogation on August 29, however, Mutabaruka, admitted committing the crime.

Muyizere, an orphan, alleges that Mutabaruka boxed and slapped her and she vomited blood before getting unconscious.

"I was sitting on a window when he (the accused) physically attacked me. I tried to explain but he didn’t listen and that is all I remember. I am now suffering from severe headaches and having hearing problems,” she cried.

The victim reportedly spent a couple of weeks undergoing medical attention at Shogwe Health center.

The girl, Muyizere, says the act is unforgivable. "My attacker only came to ask for forgiveness and visited me after the school administration compelled him to do so. It is not easy to forgive since asking for forgiveness was not his initiative”.

Muyizere also accuses the medics at Shogwe Health center of neglecting her and providing medical attention after a range of insulting words and calling her a ‘pretender.’ 

Other student witnesses say that the case was first reported to school authorities before going to the police.

"The case was reported to the dormitory care taker (Josee Uwimana) but she ignored the incident saying that the victim was pretending,” one witness, Delphine Mukarora, says.

However, she added, the students at the scene informed the head teacher who immediately sought medical attention.

The students also allege that the beating was connected to the Genocide ideology, a claim the head teacher acknowledges.  School official, parents speak out

The head teacher said that the accused was in the school illegally and the incident was linked to genocide ideology.

"The case is regrettable and I don’t know why the accused acted outrageously. When the case was brought to my knowledge, I made sure the student got medical attention.

I have also fired the dormitory caretaker for ignoring the victim,” the head teacher explained.

The head teacher disclosed that four students have recently been expelled over similar crimes against a fellow student, Claudette Mukantwali.

He identified the students as Abdon Tunda, Pacifique Bizimana, Ahmed Harerimana and Abbas Itangishaka.  

Ngendahimana appeals to security and district leaders to step up a campaign against the existing genocide ideology in the community.

Parents and caretakers who talked to The New Times also described the incident as intolerable.

"There is a way to discipline a student who misbehaves and parents have to be informed. I don’t see why a child is assaulted by a legal representative, who is illegally in the school. This has links to genocide ideology and the school administration has to do something,” Delphine Mukabaranga, a sister to the victim and guardian, angrily said. 

During a visit by the parliamentary committee on genocide ideology, it was noted that the ideology was still rife in Shogwe schools partly due the history of the Catholic Church.

Some students in GS Shogwe, a church owned school were arrested last year and expelled over the ideology.

Teachers in the same school were also probed by the committee, led by Denis Polisi, the deputy Speaker of the recently dissolved parliament.

It was revealed that some teachers were perpetuating the vice.

Ends