Police in Nyamagabe District are holding a man accused of repeatedly defiling his three daughters for the last two years.

The suspect reportedly had intercourse with his three biological daughters, aged 14, 15 and 17, but due to the psychological torture, the girls feared to report their father to authorities.

The alleged incest reportedly started after their father fell out with his wife and the two separated. The wife moved to Bugesera District, leaving the man with their three daughters.

Since then, the girls’ lives changed and, according to their teachers and neighbours, they seemed traumatised, withdrawn and could not concentrate in class.

"Teachers realised that there was something wrong with the girls; they engaged them to establish what was going on but the girls were hesitant to speak out. After sometime, they opened up and confessed that their father was defiling them. Teachers summoned the father who reportedly admitted that he had attempted ‘touching’ the girls but denied having had sexual intercourse with them,” said a teacher at the girls’ school, who reported the case to Police.

The teacher said after the school authorities engaged the father, he decided to force the two older girls out of school but the last born remained in school.

"During my classes, I realised that the girl could show up dirty, sometimes she would be so hungry; that’s when I engaged her to ascertain what was going on and, after a lengthy conversation, she told me she was being tortured by her father because she stopped having intercourse with him,” said the teacher said.

The teacher then reported the case to local leaders and Police.

Police arrested the father, who is currently held at Gasaka Police Station, and took the girls to Kigeme Hospital for medical examination.

The girls are now under Police care as investigations proceed.

Defilement is sexual intercourse with a minor – below the age of consent with is constitutionally at 18.

"After investigations and compiling medical reports, we will forward the case to the prosecution; but as of now the two girls are accusing their father of defilement,” Andre Hakizimana, the Southern Province Police spokesperson, said.

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