NORTHERN PROVINCE

MUSANZE — A woman whose four-year old daughter was early this year defiled by an HIV positive man has died of alleged witchcraft.

Judith Umutesi died last week at the age of 25. She had reportedly been attacked by supernatural powers thought to be ghosts last Tuesday night which weakened her entire body; she became unconscious and died two days later. 

According to the deceased’s husband, J. Pierre Hakizimana, the signs of illness are all linked to witchcraft. The relatives decided to take her to a traditional herbalist in Gisenyi, who reportedly deals with such cases. They allege that the deceased was bewitched by the family of the person who defiled her daughter.

Hakizimana defended their decision to take the late to a traditional herbalist instead of taking her to the medical hospital, saying "the nature of the disease could not be handled by medical doctors.”

Asuma Umugwaneza, a close friend to the late, also said Umutesi claimed that those she had dragged to court over the defilement case were responsible for her death.

"They have killed me,” she reportedly said in her last words.

The deceased had been involved in a bitter wrangle with her neighbours after it was discovered that one woman, Jacqueline Nirere allegedly handed her daughter to the rapist who is currently being detained at Ruhengeri Prison. Luckily, the child was found HIV negative last month after three times of testing.

"Whereas I feel saddened, I always get a sense of relief that God saved my daughter after all from being innocently infected. She will live normally again with good health and stable mind,” Umutesi told The New Times last month after receiving news of her daughters’ HIV status.

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