KARONGI- A Military Appeals Court in Karongi District, Wednesday, handed a 10 year jail sentence to a member of the Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) accused of attempting to have sex with an underage girl. Corporal Cyprian Hakizimana had earlier been sentenced to 20 years by Nyamirambo Military Court. He is alleged to have committed the crime in January this year.
KARONGI- A Military Appeals Court in Karongi District, Wednesday, handed
a 10 year jail sentence to a member of the Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) accused of attempting to have sex with an underage girl.
Corporal Cyprian Hakizimana had earlier been sentenced to 20 years by Nyamirambo Military Court. He is alleged to have committed the crime in January this year.
The presiding Judge, Major Bernard Ndayisaba, ruled that Hakizimana may not have engaged the girl in sexual intercourse but having attempted to, constituted a crime.
"The law stipulates punishments for people who attempt to sexually engage underage girls,” the Judge said.
In his defence, Hakizimana acknowledged sharing a bed with the girl but denied having any sexual intercourse.
During the trial, the girl, names withheld, gave contradicting statements bearing different birth dates.
Hakizimana’s defence attorney capitalised on this to contest the verdict.
"My client is not satisfied with the punishment because sometimes the girl says she was raped and sometimes she says otherwise. I also find this as an obstacle on which you cannot base your decision,” his attorney said.
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