Police in Ngororero District have arrested Paul Hakizimana, a 27 years old man for allegedly raping an 18-year old girl. The suspect was apprehended on July 31 around midday, in Gasubi Cell of Bwira Sector. He is currently held at Bwira Police station as investigations proceed. Preliminary investigations indicate that, Solange Uwitije, a civil servant, sent Hakizimana, a commercial motorcyclist to her home to get her a jacket. Reaching there, Hakizimana found Diane Mukamana, a househelp, and raped her. Immediately, Mukamana called her employer and informed her about the alleged rape. By the time Hakizimana returned to Uwitije, Police had been informed and arrested him immediately. Western Province Police Spokesperson, Inspector of Police Theobald Kanamugire, condemned the act saying that, such crimes should not be tolerated in the Rwandan society. “Rape is a complete violation of human right, that’s why it’s a responsibility of all Rwandans to stand up against rape. Any form of sexual assault has serious effects on the victim,” he said. He went on to add that, beside the physical damages, rape may result into transmission of diseases like HIV/AIDS while victims of rape can be severely traumatized by the assault which results into post-traumatic stress disorder. If Hakizimana is found guilty, he risks heavy penalties as set by the penal code in article 197. The article stipulates in part that “Any person who rapes a person aged 18 years or above shall be liable to a term of imprisonment of more than 5 years to 7 years…If rape results in the death of the victim, the offender shall be liable to life imprisonment.” Another article, 201 of the penal code states that any person who commits rape to deliberately infect another person with incurable infection, shall be liable to a term of imprisonment of 20 years to 25 years.
