Activists have welcomed the decision by the government to establish a sex offenders’ registry calling the move a positive step towards curbing the rising number of rape and defilement cases.

In a letter dated June 18, the Minister of Justice, Johnston Busingye requested the Rwanda Public Prosecution Authority (NPPA) to leverage existing electronic platforms to get the registry ‘up and running’ as soon as possible.

The registry will be open to the public.

Busingye explains that the registry will help law enforcement and justice to track repeat offenders and serve as a reference point wherever background information is required about a particular individual for particular administrative and/or legal reasons.

"Individuals who get convicted for attempted or actual rape and /or defilement need to be put on notice that Government, the justice system and the public will do what it takes to ensure they transform, they are prevented from or they will pay heavily for raping or defiling again,” he said.

He reminded that sexual crimes continue to plague society and uniquely inflict lifelong harm on their victims.

"It is therefore imperative that in addition to current policy and operational measures in place, we need to think constantly about more deterrent measures. These offences should be fought relentlessly until they become too scary to commit,” he said.

Busingye requested NPPA to come up with suggestions on new, or more evidentiary, disclosure, protective and precautionary measures that should be proposed for enactment into the penal and other laws to further ensure that these offences can be deterred further.

The Spokesperson of NPPA Faustin Nkusi told The New Times in a telephone interview that establishing the sex offenders’ registry is aimed at further strengthening measures to protect women and children from abusers.

"The registry will be open. Our intention is to protect women and children. When a rape happens, the consequences, including sometimes even social stigma become the burden of a victim yet they should be carried by the offender,” he said.

The registry, he said, is aimed at deterring those who are already convicted to repeat the same crimes, but also to discourage even those who intend to commit such crimes.

The Registry will only include cases which are final and decisive.

Rwandans have in recent weeks taken to social media to criticise members of parliament, particularly women, for being silent on the continuous rise of rape and defilement cases.

Sylvia Nsanga is a feminist and activist who has been at the forefront of pushing for the government’s intervention in the protection of children and women.

Reacting to this announcement, Nsanga said that this move will play a significant role in deterring those who were about to commit such crimes.

"I am glad that we can now maximise the opportunities that technology gives to know the person who committed a sexual offense in Nyamagabe. This will make offenders think twice before committing these crimes. It is a big step,” she said.

Chantal Umuhoza, the Executive Director of SPECTRA, an organisation that advocates for gender equality, said that while the registry is welcome, it will only serve a purpose if the data collected is used to transform the offenders’ behaviour.

"For me, criminalisation of offenses in general but those against women’s rights like rape and defilement in particular serves a purpose of inflicting fear but does not transform. I am a supporter of restorative justice. The registry will be useful if it transforms the offenders’ understanding and behaviour in society,” she said.

For MP Suzanne Mukayijore, a member of the Rwanda Parliamentary Network on Population and Development, there is a need to take offense like defilement that had sent numbers of teen pregnancies skyrocketing to the grassroots level.

‘Culture of silence’

Drawing from the success story of the ‘Gerayo Amahoro’ road safety campaign, Mukayijori said that the same resources and zeal can be used to intensify the battle against teenage pregnancies.

"Why can’t we invest the same energy in campaigns to for instance fight teenage pregnancies? Let us involve every teacher, religious and local leader, parent and every child. Let us tackle this issue from the bottom,” she suggested.

One of the challenges that have come at the forefront is the ‘culture of silence’.

Some families continue to cover up for the people involved owing it to family ties, fear of social alienation and financial incentives.

Mukayijori told The New Times that speaking up is still a challenge in the Rwandans society, especially in rural areas, but holding families and society accountable will significantly contribute to lowering the numbers.

"The people involved are known to society but no one is willing to speak up. Families keep silent, neighbours follow suit and in the end, you have a society that is covering for people who in some circumstances end up being repeat offenders,” she said.

Mukayijori suggested that authorities should find a way to hold such families or members of the society accountable for their silence.

The numbers

According to official statistics, 17,849 underage girls were impregnated in 2016. The number slightly eased to 17, 337 in 2017 before jumping to 19,832 in 2018.

From January to August last year, teen pregnancies increased to 15,696, which translates to an average of 1,962 a month. Based on this, an estimated 23, 544 children were born to teen mothers in 2019.

Broken down by leading districts in 2018, Nyagatare registered 1,465 teen pregnancies, Gatsibo 1,452, Gasabo 1,064 and Kirehe 1,055.