At around 10:08am on Friday, a RIB detainee van pulled up at Ndera sub-parish Catholic Church where hundreds of residents were already waiting for the trial of Solange Nyirangiruwonsanga.

The 37 years old and mother of five, appeared amidst tight security with a calm demeanour. She is pinned in the highly publicized death of a nine-year-old boy in the Gasabo district.

Nyirangiruwonsanga was a maid in the victim’s home.

The case, which saw the judge at Gasabo Intermediate Court move the courtroom to the scene of crime, was called for mention at around 10:30am. 

After confirming her identity and reading the charge sheet, the judge gave the prosecution time to explain the merit of the case.

The prosecution started by saying that they are prosecuting Nyirangiruwonsanga for the murder of the young boy, arguing that they have enough evidence to justify that the suspect committed the crimes.

The evidence includes witness accounts and a statement of confession by the suspect among others. 

Prosecution narrated how she allegedly committed the crime;

On June 12, the victim and suspect were alone at home, and the former was eating porridge as he played with his smartphone, after which Nyirangiruwonsanga, who was a family house help, told the victim to revise his studies.

He allegedly refused instead continued playing with his phone.

The suspect then confiscated the phone and went back to do her chores in the home and after a few minutes, the boy, now angry, hit her with a stone.

After the incident, the suspect also got angry and minutes later, entered the house and tricked the victim into a game, where he would hang a cloth on a door and use it as a swing. Later she apparently tricked him into having the same piece of cloth around his neck.

She then kicked the chair he used to climb which caused strangulation.

After narrating the incident, the prosecutor said that besides the confession by the suspect, they have other witness accounts to corroborate this.

The prosecution concluded by requesting a life sentence for the suspect.

During the whole process of narrating the whole story, people were shocked as the prosecution continued to explain the incident while some got emotional and cried including the victim’s parents who were both present.

Suspect disowns confession

The suspect was given time to defend herself. She however disowned the confession, saying that she made it under duress during the investigations.

"I was arrested on the same evening the incident took place and I was taken to a place where I was beaten and forced to make a confession,” she explained.

Nyirangiruwonsanga further explained that she never killed the victim stressing that the child committed suicide.

"I want to let the bereaved parents that he took his own life he was never killed,” she said

The presiding judge asked her what she thinks might be the reason behind his suicide to which she replied that he had had a disagreement with his father. She however could not provide details about the disagreement.

Asked about her reaction to the punishment requested by the prosecution.

"If you think the sentence suits me then rules accordingly,” she replied

After listening to both sides, the presiding judge ruled that the verdict will be issued on July 25.