Rwanda Case Law

HAKIZIMANA v. UBUSHINJACYAHA

Court

Court of Appeal

Case number

RPAA 00120/2025/CA

The appellate court held that the confession of the accused, made in the presence of counsel and corroborated by witness testimony and physical evidence, was sufficient to uphold the conviction for defilement of a minor. The court found no credible evidence of coercion and determined that the lack of forensic testing did not undermine the sufficiency of the evidence. The sentence of 15 years' imprisonment was affirmed.

Source excerpt

• Defilement of a minor
• Admissibility of confessions
• Weight of evidence
• Criminal procedure

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KARENZO v. UBUSHINJACYAHA

Court

Court of Appeal

Case number

RPAA 00125/2023/CA

The Court of Appeal upheld Karenzo’s conviction for defilement of an 11-year-old child, found the evidence reliable, and reduced the sentence from 25 to 15 years.

• Defilement of a minor
• Assessment of evidence
• Testimony of related witnesses
• Reduction of sentence for first offenders
• Defilement-of-a-minor
• Evaluation-of-evidence

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HAKIZIMANA v. UBUSHINJACYAHA

Court

Court of Appeal

Case number

RPAA 00264/2025/CA

The Court of Appeal dismissed Hakizimana’s appeal against a 15-year sentence for defilement of a minor, upholding the medical and circumstantial evidence and damages award.

• Defilement of a minor
• Standards of proof
• Medical evidence
• Burden of proof
• Sexual offences
• Damages to victim

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NKUNDINTWARI v. UBUSHINJACYAHA

Court

Court of Appeal

Case number

RPAA 00304/2025/CA

The Court of Appeal dismissed a criminal appeal against a defilement conviction, holding that the evidence was sufficient and credible despite the DNA report.

• Defilement of a minor
• Standard of proof in criminal cases
• Admissibility of evidence
• Appeals procedure
• Defilement-of-a-minor
• Criminal-evidence

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UBUSHINJACYAHA v. HAKUZIMANA

Court

Court of Appeal

Case number

RPAA 01358/2024/CA

The appeal lacked merit because the conviction was based on a combination of the child victim’s testimony, corroborating statements from the mother and other witnesses, a medical report, and an apology message from the appellant. The court found no legal or factual basis to overturn the conviction, holding that the evidence was sufficient and properly assessed.

Source excerpt

• Sexual offences
• Evidence assessment
• Child witness testimony
• Appeals procedure

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UBUSHINJACYAHA v. HATEGEKIMANA

Court

Court of Appeal

Case number

RPAA 00886/2024/CA

The Court held that the evidence, including the child's testimony, corroborating witnesses, and the accused's own admissions, established beyond reasonable doubt that Hategekimana Damascène committed defilement by touching the child's genitals for sexual gratification. The absence of physical injury or penetration and the intact hymen did not negate the offence. The claim of coerced confession was unsupported by evidence. The appeal was dismissed and the lower court's sentence of 15 years' imprisonment was upheld.

Source excerpt

• Defilement
• Sexual offences against children
• Evidentiary standards
• Confession under duress

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UBUSHINJACYAHA v NDAGIJIMNA

Court

Court of Appeal

Case number

RPAA 00101/2021/CA

The Court of Appeal upheld a conviction for child sexual assault based on the accused’s consistent confessions, but reduced the sentence to 15 years.

• Admissibility of confession
• Evidentiary standards
• Sentencing
• Sexual offences against minors
• Criminal-law
• Sexual-offences-against-minors

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UBUSHINJACYAHA v UMUHIRE N’ABANDI

Court

Court of Appeal

Case number

RPAA 00199/2025/CA

The Court of Appeal held that the evidence was sufficient to uphold convictions for defilement of a minor and dismissed the appellants’ challenge.

• Defilement of a minor
• Admissibility of evidence
• Standard of proof in criminal cases
• Weight of victim testimony
• Appeals process
• Criminal-law

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UBUSHINJACYAHA v. NSHIMIYIMANA

Court

Court of Appeal

Case number

RPAA01329/2024/CA

The conviction was upheld because the evidence from the accused's own statements, the victim's mother, an eyewitness, and the medical report collectively established beyond reasonable doubt that Nshimiyimana Jacques committed the offence of defilement. The court found the defence arguments unconvincing and the evidence consistent with the legal definition of the crime. However, the sentence was reduced to 18 years' imprisonment due to mitigating factors, including it being the accused's first offence and his young age at the time.

Source excerpt

• Sexual offences against children
• Assessment of evidence
• Appeals
• Sentencing

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UBUSHINJACYAHA v TWAGIRIMANA

Court

Court of Appeal

Case number

RPAA 00485/2025/CA

The court held that under Rwandan law, defilement of a minor is a strict liability offence for which neither lack of intent nor misrepresentation of age by the victim constitutes a defence or mitigating factor sufficient to reduce the sentence below the statutory minimum. The appellant's claim of absence of intent was rejected, and the 15-year sentence was affirmed as the minimum allowed by law.

Source excerpt

• Defilement
• Sexual offences against minors
• Sentencing
• Appeals

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