Local leaders in Rwimbogo Sector, Gatsibo District on Wednesday recovered a body of a 22-year-old woman from a 30-metre-pit near Rwimbogo health centre.

Stella Matutina’s body was reportedly dumped in the pit by people who unsuccessfully tried to help her procure an abortion last Saturday.

The Executive Secretary of Rwimbogo Sector, John Mushumba, said the abortion attempt started on Wednesday at the house of the man responsible for the pregnancy who later transferred Matutina to a health centre, but it was too late.

He said medics behind the botched abortion are on the run.

The social worker who helped the medics to dump the body in the pit called the health insurance director and guided them to the rubbish pit where the body was recovered, according to Mushumba.

"The man responsible for the pregnancy convinced the girl to abort and they tried it on Saturday leading to the death of the woman,” a source told The New Times.

The man responsible for the pregnancy was working at Rwimbogo health centre as a health insurance officer, according to sources, while the deceased worked at Kiziguro Hospital, also as a health insurance officer.

The Police spokesperson for the Eastern Province, Senior Supt. Benoit Nsengiyumva, confirmed the incident.

Police took the body to Kiziguro health centre for a postmortem, Senior Supt. Nsengiyumva said.

He added that investigations are being carried out to arrest those responsible.

"It is now a murder case and the punishment is jail for life upon conviction,” Senior Supt. Nsengiyumva said.