Tujyinama Thaddée v. Ubushinjacyaha
The Court of Appeal held that Tujyinama Thaddée’s 15-year sentence was already the minimum possible for the offence of defiling a child followed by living with her as husband and wife, so it could not be reduced further on the basis of mitigating circumstances. The appeal was therefore unfounded.
Source-derived case information.
- Parties
- Appellant/accused: Tujyinama Thaddée; Respondent: Ubushinjacyaha
- Jurisdiction
- Rwanda
- Procedural Posture
- Criminal Appeal / Appeal Before the Court of Appeal
- Outcome
- Appeal dismissed as unfounded
- Legal Topics
- Defilement of a Child, Cohabitation as Husband and Wife, Mitigating Circumstances, Reduction of Sentence, Minimum Sentence
- Source Language
- rw
Source-derived case record
Summary, issues, holding and outcome
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Parties
Tujyinama Thaddée
Appellant/accused
Ubushinjacyaha
Respondent
Procedural Posture
Criminal Appeal / Appeal Before the Court of Appeal
Legal Issues
- 1 Whether a sentence already reduced to the minimum provided by law may be reduced again on the basis of mitigating circumstances.
- 2 Whether the appeal seeking a further reduction of sentence has merit.
Ratio Decidendi
The Court of Appeal held that Tujyinama Thaddée’s 15-year sentence was already the minimum possible for the offence of defiling a child followed by living with her as husband and wife, so it could not be reduced further on the basis of mitigating circumstances. The appeal was therefore unfounded.
Court Disposition
Appeal dismissed as unfounded
Orders
- The judgment in RPA 01012/2020/HC/NYZ of 03/05/2024 remains unchanged.
- The 15-year imprisonment sentence imposed on Tujyinama Thaddée remains in force.
Full Case Text
Judgment text and source record
3 paragraphs
TUJYINAMA v. UBUSHINJACYAHA [Rwanda URUKIKO RW’UBUJURIRE – RPAA 00679/2024 (Rukundakuvuga, P.J.,) 11 Gashyantare 2026] Amategeko agenga ibyaha n’ibihano – Icyaha cyo gusambanya umwana no kubana nawe nk’umugore n’umugabo – Uwagabanyirijwe igihano kugera ku gihano gito giteganywa n’itegeko, ntashobora kongera kugabanyirizwa hashingiwe ku mpamvu nyoroshyacyaha. Incamake y’ikibazo: Ubushinjacyaha bwareze Tujyinama Thaddée mu Rukiko Rwisumbuye rwa Huye bumukurikiranyeho icyaha cyo gusambanya umwana no kubana nawe nk’umugore n’umugabo. Urukiko Rwisumbuye rwa Huye rwamuhamije icyo cyaha, rumuhanisha 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). Tujyinama Thaddée yongeye kujuririra Urukiko rw’Ubujurire, asaba kongera kugabanyirizwa ibihano, hashingiwe ku kuba yaremeye icyaha mu nzego zose ku buryo budashidikanwaho. 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. Urukiko rw’Ubujurire rwemeje ko ubujurire bwa Tujyinama Thaddée 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 byakurikiwe no kubana nawe nk’umugabo n’umugore; 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, 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 00771/2025/CA rwa Tugirimana Eric n’Ubushinjacyaha, rwaciwe n’Urukiko rw’Ubujurire ku wa 04/02/2026.
Urubanza I. IMITERERE Y’URUBANZA [1] Kuva mu kwa 10/2019 Tujyinama Thaddée yakundanye n’umwana w’umukobwa witwa Y.C1 w’imyaka 14, bigera ubwo amusambanya, anamutera inda. Ku wa 05/04/2020 batangiye kubana nk’umugore n’umugabo. Ku wa 12/10/2020 bagiranye amakimbirane, abashinzwe umutekano mu Mudugudu baza kubakiza, ari nabwo bamenye ko Y.C ari umwana, bahita bafata Tujyinama Thaddée atangira gukurikiranwa. Nyuma y’iperereza Ubushinjacyaha bwamuregeye Urukiko Rwisumbuye wa Huye bumukurikiranyeho icyaha cyo gusambanya umwana no kubana nawe nk’umugore n’umugabo. [2] Mu rubanza RP 00645/2020/TGI/HYE, rwaciwe ku wa 30/10/2020 Urukiko Rwisumbuye rwa Huye rwamuhamije icyo cyaha, rumuhanisha 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] Tujyinama Thaddée yongeye kujuririra Urukiko rw’Ubujurire, urubanza rwe ruhabwa RPAA 01104/2025/CA, iburanisha mu ruhame rishyirwa ku wa 09/02/2026. Uwo munsi ugeze, Tujyinama Thaddée yitabye yunganiwe na Me Gashayija Mathieu, naho Ubushinjacyaha buhagarariwe na Niyonkuru Françoise, Umushinjacyaha ku rwego rw’Igihugu. [4] Mu bujurire bwe, Tujyinama Thaddée n’umwunganizi we basabye kongera kugabanyirizwa ibihano, hashingiwe ku kuba yaremeye icyaha mu nzego zose ku buryo budashidikanwaho, kuba nawe yari akiri muto ataragira ubunararibonye, kuba asanzwe yitwara neza akaba ari ubwa mbere akoze icyaha, kuba yarakundanye n’umukobwa bakemeranya kubana bityo akaba nta mugambi mubi yari amufiteho, no kuba kumufunga igihe kirekire byagira ingaruka ku mwana babyaranye. [5] 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 kandi ko ibyo byatanzweho umurongo mu manza zitandukanye zaciwe n’uru Rukiko UKO URUKIKO RUBIBONA [6] 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 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 1 Izina ryahawe umwana wahohotewe ku bw’umutekano we 2 Reba igika cya 17-18 cy’urubanza RPAA 00076/2024/CA
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 00771/2025/CA rwaciwe ku wa 04/02/2026, haburana Tugirimana Eric n’Ubushinjacyaha3. [7] Kubera izo mpamvu, uru Rukiko rurasanga ubujurire bwa Tujyinama Thaddée 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 byakurikiwe no kubana nawe nk’umugabo n’umugore44; bityo kikaba kidashobora kongera kugabanywa. II. ICYEMEZO CY’URUKIKO [8] Rwemeje ko ubujurire bwa Tujyinama Thaddée nta shingiro bufite; [9] Rwemeje ko imikirize y’urubanza RPA 01012/2020/HC/NYZ rwaciwe n’Urukiko Rukuru/Urugereko rwa Nyanza ku wa 03/05/2024, idahindutse; [10] Rutegetse ko igihano cy’igifungo cy’imyaka cumi n’itanu (15) Tujyinama Thaddée yahanishijwe n’Urukiko Rukuru/Urugereko rwa Nyanza, kigumyeho. 3 Reba igika cya 05 cy’urubanza RPAA 00771/2025/CA 4 Hashingiwe ku ngingo ya 14 agace ka (5) 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 gihanishwa igihano cy’igifungo cya burundu