The High Court in Kigali has reduced the sentence of Solange Nyirangiruwonsanga, a 40-year-old woman previously handed a life sentence for the murder of a 9-year-old boy in Gasabo District. She will now serve 25 years in prison, following her appeal challenging the earlier ruling by the Gasabo Intermediate Court.

Nyirangiruwonsanga was employed as a domestic worker in the deceased's home. The case was opened against her when the boy was found dead on June 12, 2022, in Karubibi Village, Cyaruzinge Cell, Ndera Sector.

The boy was found hanging from a door, with a piece of cloth tied around his neck.

The prosecutors argued that Nyirangiruwonsanga was responsible for the child’s death, noting that they had sufficient evidence to prove her involvement. The evidence included witness testimonies and her own confession, among other elements.

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Why was the jail term reduced?

In its decision, the High Court said that although Nyirangiruwonsanga was convicted of murder, certain mitigating circumstances allowed for a reduction of sentence.

According to the court, this was her first conviction, and she is a mother with children to raise. The law allows a life sentence to be reduced when mitigating factors are present, though it cannot be lowered to less than 15 years. On these grounds, the court ruled to reduce her sentence from life imprisonment to 25 years.

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Why was her claim of innocence rejected?

Nyirangiruwonsanga appealed the conviction, insisting she was innocent and that her confession during interrogation was obtained under duress. She also said the lower court ignored several facts during the trial.

She argued that the boy had been playing outside before the incident. "I told the court that he was playing outside, and I warned him to stop. Later, when I went inside the house, I found him lifeless,” she said.

However, the High Court dismissed the argument, citing her detailed confession to the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB), in which she allegedly explained how she tricked the child, tied a piece of cloth to a door grill, made him stand on a chair, and pushed him, leading to his death.

Established jurisprudence affirms that statements made during interrogation can still hold value, even when later retracted during trial.

Circumstantial evidence presented by prosecutors included her behaviour after the incident, which the court said was inconsistent with someone surprised by a child’s accidental death.

The prosecutors added that the 9-year-old boy could not independently tie a rope at such a height and hang himself.

It was heard in the court during the appeal hearing that the door measured 1.80 metres in height, while the chair used measured 70 centimetres. The boy was 1.58 metres tall, which meant that he could not have reached the cloth without assistance.

The court concluded that her appeal lacked merit, affirming her guilt, but exercised its legal authority to adjust the sentence downward due to mitigating circumstances.