TUGIRIMANA v. UBUSHINJACYAHA
The Court held that Tugirimana Eric’s 15-year prison sentence was the lowest possible sentence for the offence for which he was convicted, so it could not be further reduced on the basis of mitigating circumstances; therefore, the appeal was unfounded.
Source-derived case information.
- Parties
- Appellant/accused: Tugirimana Eric; Respondent: Ubushinjacyaha
- Jurisdiction
- Rwanda
- Procedural Posture
- Criminal Appeal / Appeal Before the Rwanda Court of Appeal
- Outcome
- Appeal dismissed as unfounded
- Legal Topics
- Defilement of a Child Under 14, Mitigation of Sentence, Minimum Mandatory Sentence, Appeal Against Sentence
- Source Language
- rw
Source-derived case record
Summary, issues, holding and outcome
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Parties
Tugirimana Eric
Appellant/accused
Ubushinjacyaha
Respondent
Procedural Posture
Criminal Appeal / Appeal Before the Rwanda Court of Appeal
Legal Issues
- 1 Whether a sentence already reduced to the minimum permitted by law may be further reduced on the basis of mitigating circumstances.
- 2 Whether the appeal challenging the sentence has merit.
Ratio Decidendi
The Court held that Tugirimana Eric’s 15-year prison sentence was the lowest possible sentence for the offence for which he was convicted, so it could not be further reduced on the basis of mitigating circumstances; therefore, the appeal was unfounded.
Court Disposition
Appeal dismissed as unfounded
Orders
- The appeal filed by Tugirimana Eric is without merit.
- The judgment of the High Court/Division of Nyanza in RPA 00451/2022/HC/NYZ of 9/07/2025 is upheld.
Full Case Text
Judgment text and source record
3 paragraphs
TUGIRIMANA v. UBUSHINJACYAHA [Rwanda URUKIKO RW’UBUJURIRE – RPAA 00771/2025/CA (Rukundakuvuga, P.J.,) 04 Gashyantare 2026] Amategeko agenga ibyaha n’ibihano – Icyaha cyo gusambanya umwana uri munsi yimyaka 14 y’amavuko – Gusaba kongera kugabanyirizwa ibihano – Uwagabanyirijwe igihano kugera ku gihano gito giteganywa n’itegeko, ntashobora kongera kugabanyirizwa hashingiwe ku mpamvu nyoroshyacyaha. Incamake y’ikibazo: Tugirimana Eric yaketsweho gusambanya umwana w’umukobwa witwa K.U.T w’imyaka 12 y’amavuko, maze atangira gukurikiranwa. Nyuma y’iperereza Ubushinjacyaha bwamuregeye Urukiko Rwisumbuye rwa Muhanga, bumukurikiranyeho icyaha cyo gusambanya umwana uri munsi yimyaka 14 y’amavuko. Urukiko Rwisumbuye rwa Muhanga rwamuhamije icyaha, maze ahanishwa igihano cy’igifungo cy’imyaka makumyabiri n’itanu (25), ajurira mu Rukiko Rukuru/Urugereko rwa Nyanza narwo rukomeza kumuhamya icyaha, ariko rumugabanyiriza igihano; rumuhanisha igifungo cy’imyaka cumi n’itanu (15). Tugirimana Eric yongeye kujuririra Urukiko rw’Ubujurire, asaba kongera kugabanyirizwa ibihano kugeza munsi y’igito giteganywa n’itegeko hashingiwe ku mpamvu nyoroshyacyaha zo kuba yaremeye icyaha. Ubushinjacyaha bumusubiza buvuga ko hakurijwe ibiteganywa n’Ingingo ya 2(a) y’Itegeko Nº 059/2023 ryo ku wa 04/12/2023 rihindura Itegeko Nº 68/2018 ryo ku wa 30/08/2018 riteganya ibyaha n’ibihano muri rusange, igihano yahawe ari cyo gito gishoboka; bityo uregwa akaba adashobora kongera kugabanyirizwa. Urukiko rw’Ubujurire rwasanze ubujurire bwa Tugirimana Eric nta shingiro bufite kuko igihano cy’igifungo cy’imyaka 15 yahawe n’Urukiko Rukuru/Urugereko rwa Nyanza ari cyo gito gishoboka ku cyaha yahamijwe cyo gusambanya umwana uri munsi y’imyaka 14, bityo kikaba kidashobora kongera kugabanywa. Incamake y’icyemezo: Uwagabanyirijwe igihano kugera ku gihano gito giteganywa n’itegeko, ntashobora kongera kugabanyirizwa hashingiwe ku mpamvu nyoroshyacyaha. Ubujurire nta shingiro bufite. Amategeko yashingiweho: Itegeko Nº 59/2023 ryo ku wa 04/12/2023 ihindura ingingo ya 60 y’Itegeko Nº 68/2018 ryo ku wa 30/08/2018 riteganya ibyaha n’ibihano muri rusange, ingingo ya 2.
Imanza zifashishijwe: Urubanza RPAA 00076/2024 rw’ Ubushinjacyaha na Burindwi Jean Bosco, rwaciwe n’Urukiko rw’Ubujurire, ku wa 20/01/2025; Urubanza RPAA 00350/2025/CA, rwa Nzabonimana Wilson n’Ubushinjacyaha, rwaciwe n’Urukiko rw’Ubujurire ku wa 21/11/2025. Urubanza I. IMITERERE Y’URUBANZA [1] Ku itariki ya 21/05/2022 Tugirimana Eric wari umushumba iwabo w’umwana w’umukobwa witwa K.U.T1 w’imyaka 12 y’amavuko, ubwo bari basigaye mu rugo bonyine, iwabo w’uyu mwana bagiye mu birori i Kigali, byageze igihe cyo mu masaha yo hagati ya saa moya na saa mbiri z’ijoro (19h00-20h) ashuka K.U.T ngo aze baryamane mu nzu yararagamo, birangira amusambanyije. K.U.T yahise ajya kubibwira umuturanyi wabo nawe ahamagara Umukuru w’umudugudu arabimubwira. Tugirimana Eric yahise atangira gukurikiranwa. Nyuma y’iperereza Ubushinjacyaha bwamuregeye Urukiko Rwisumbuye rwa Muhanga, bumukurikiranyeho icyaha cyo gusambanya umwana uri munsi yimyaka 14 y’amavuko. [2] Mu rubanza RP 00651/2022/TGI/MHG, rwaciwe ku wa 21/06/2022, Urukiko Rwisumbuye rwa Muhanga rwamuhamije icyaha ahanishwa igihano cy’igifungo cy’imyaka makumyabiri n’itanu (25), ajurira mu Rukiko Rukuru/Urugereko rwa Nyanza narwo rukomeza kumuhamya icyaha, ariko rumugabanyiriza igihano; rumuhanisha igifungo cy’imyaka cumi n’itanu (15). [3] Tugirimana Eric yongeye kujuririra Urukiko rw’Ubujurire, urubanza rwe ruhabwa RPAA 00771/2025/CA. Iburanisha mu ruhame ryashyizwe ku wa 03/02/2026. Uwo munsi ugeze, Tugirimana Eric yitabye yunganiwe na Me Shema T. Gerald, naho Ubushinjacyaha buhagarariwe na Bunyoye Grace, Umushinjacyaha ku rwego rw’Igihugu. [4] Mu bujurire bwe, Tugirimana Eric nta kindi yasabye uretse kongera kugabanyirizwa ibihano kugeza munsi y’igito giteganywa n’itegeko hashingiwe ku mpamvu nyoroshyacyaha zo kuba yaremeye icyaha ndetse akaba asanga n’ icyaha yakoze nta ngaruka zikomeye cyateje kuko umwana nta kindi kibazo yagize ndetse akaba yumva yaragororotse bihagije. Ubushinjacyaha buvuga ko hakurijwe ibiteganywa n’Ingingo ya 2(a) y’Itegeko Nº 059/2023 ryo ku wa 04/12/2023 rihindura Itegeko Nº 68/2018 ryo ku wa 30/08/2018 riteganya ibyaha n’ibihano muri rusange igihano yahawe ari cyo gito gishoboka; bityo akaba adashobora kongera kugabanyirizwa. UKO URUKIKO RUBIBONA [5] Ikibazo cyo kugabanya igihano kubera impamvu nyoroshyacyaha mu gihe igihano cyatanzwe ari cyo gito gishoboka, cyatanzweho umurongo mu rubanza RPAA 00076/2024 rwaciwe n’uru Rukiko ku wa 20/01/2025 haburana Ubushinjacyaha na Burindwi Jean Bosco2 1 Iri ni izina ryahawe umwana ku mpamvu zo kumurindira umutekano. 2 Reba igika cya 17-18 cy’urubanza RPAA 00076/2024/CA
rusobanura imikoreshereze y’Ingingo ya 2, (a) y’Itegeko nº 59/2023 ryo ku wa 04/12/2023 ihindura Ingingo ya 60 y’Itegeko Nº 68/2018 ryo ku wa 30/08/2018 riteganya ibyaha n’ibihano muri rusange, iteganya ko iyo umucamanza yemeje impamvu nyoroshyacyaha, igifungo cya burundu gishobora kugabanywa ariko ntikijye munsi y’igihano cy’igifungo cy’imyaka 15. Urukiko rw’Ubujurire rwemeje ko uwagabanyirijwe igihano kugera ku gihano gito giteganywa n’itegeko adashobora kongera kugabanyirizwa. Uwo murongo niwo wakomeje gukurikizwa mu manza zitandukanye zaciwe n’uru Rukiko, uruheruka muri uwo mujyo akaba ari urubanza RPAA 00350/2025/CA rwaciwe ku wa 21/11/2025, rwa Nzabonimana Wilson n’Ubushinjacyaha3. [6] Kubera izo mpamvu, uru Rukiko rurasanga ubujurire bwa Tugirimana Eric nta shingiro bufite kuko igihano cy’igifungo cy’imyaka 15 yahawe n’Urukiko Rukuru/Urugereko rwa Nyanza ari cyo gito gishoboka ku cyaha yahamijwe cyo gusambanya umwana uri munsi y’imyaka 144, bityo kikaba kidashobora kongera kugabanywa. II. ICYEMEZO CY’URUKIKO [7] Rwemeje ko ubujurire bwa Tugirimana Eric nta shingiro bufite; [8] Rwemeje ko imikirize y’urubanza RPA 00451/2022/HC/NYZ, rwaciwe n’Urukiko Rukuru/Urugereko rwa Nyanza kuwa 9/07/2025, idahindutse; [9] Rutegetse ko igihano cy’igifungo cy’imyaka cumi n’itanu (15) Tugirimana Eric yahanishijwe n’Urukiko Rukuru/Urugereko rwa Nyanza, kigumyeho. 3 Reba igika cya 14 cy’urubanza RPAA 00350/2025/CA 4 Hashingiwe ku ngingo ya 14 agace ka (3) y’Itegeko nº 059/2023 ryo ku wa 04/12/2023 rihindura Itegeko nº 68/2018 ryo ku wa 30/08/2018 riteganya ibyaha n’ibihano muri rusange, icyo cyaha guhanishwa igihano cy’igifungo cya burundu.