Two held over abortion

Police yesterday arrested two people in Gikondo for allegedly carrying out an abortion in a guest house.

Sunday, September 14, 2008
Bernard Sikubwabo.

Police yesterday arrested two people in Gikondo for allegedly carrying out an abortion in a guest house.

Bernad Sikubwabo, 53, who claims to be a medical assistant, is alleged to have given some tablets to Consolée Bantegeye, 21, of Kansereye, Gikondo to induce an abortion.

The alleged crime happened on Friday morning at Bonjour Guest House in Gikondo. The two were arrested with a dead fetus concealed in a small bag.

When Sunday Times interviewed Sikubwabo at Gikondo police post, he denied the alleged crime. He instead claimed that he had spent three nights in the lodge with Bantegeye, where they had sexual intercourse for the tree nights.

He said that "when I woke up in the morning, the workers in the guest house alerted me that the lady had suffered a miscarriage.”

He added that the previous day, Bantegeye had complained of stomach pains and he had given her some drugs called cytotex to treat the pain.

"I did not know that she was pregnant.”

Sikubwabo a married man with three children claimed that it was not an abortion but a miscarriage probably a result of vigorous sexual activity.

Police is still carrying out investigations. When Sunday Times visited Gikondo police station, Bantegeye had been taken to Kigali Central Hospital for medical examination.

Sikubwabo claimed to have studied as a paramedical in Kindu, DR Congo. He said that he has lived in Rwanda since 1990, and has worked for different private clinics. But is currently out of work.

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