The prosecution has urged the Nyarugenge Intermediate court to impose a life sentence on Marie Chantal Mukanzabarushimana, who is accused of playing a role in the death of her five-year-old stepdaughter, Elsie Akeza Rutiyomba.
The lifeless body of Akeza was discovered in a water tank at their family home in Busanza Cell, Kanombe Sector, Kicukiro District last year. Shortly after the incident, Mukanzabarushimana, Akeza's stepmother residing in the same household, was apprehended based on a preliminary investigation that allegedly implicated her in the girl's tragic demise.
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During the hearing held on Friday, July 7, the prosecution presented evidence suggesting that the suspect meticulously planned Akeza&039;s murder. The prosecution highlighted the testimony of the maid, who stated that Mukanzabarushimana sent her to the shop on multiple occasions, intending to create an opportunity where she could be alone with the victim. The maid revealed that when Mukanzabarushimana finally obtained the desired privacy, she drowned Akeza in the water tank.
The motive behind the crime, as explained by the prosecutor, involved a conflict between Mukanzabarushimana and her husband regarding his relationships with other women, with whom he had children. Akeza was born out of wedlock between Agathe Niragire and Florian Rutiyomba, who later officially married the suspect.
The prosecutor dismissed the theory that the victim could have accidentally drowned, emphasizing that the tank was too short for a five-year-old and that she was old enough to understand the danger. The autopsy report confirmed that Akeza was not drowned but instead killed and disposed of in the tank, contradicting earlier assumptions.
Additionally, crime scene reports provided detailed information about the tank's structure and the overall condition of the location, corroborating witness accounts and the findings of the investigators.
Concluding the proceedings, the prosecutor requested the court to find the defendant guilty and impose a life sentence.
However, Mukanzabarushimana, while addressing the court, vehemently denied any involvement in Akeza's death. She claimed that she had an alibi, as she was in the hospital when the tragic incident occurred.
"On the day Akeza passed away, I had a pre-arranged plan to go to the hospital, and my husband was aware of it. While I was there, my maid called and informed me that she couldn't find Akeza. I instructed her to search everywhere because I knew I had locked the gate, preventing Akeza from leaving," she asserted.
Mukanzabarushimana further said that a few minutes later, Nirere, the mother of the deceased, called her to report the discovery of Akeza's lifeless body in a water tank inside the house.
The suspect highlighted that most of the witnesses' testimonies were false. According to her, at the time she left home for the hospital, Akeza was in her room and had requested cookies from the maid.
When asked by the judge about who she believed could have placed Akeza in the tank, the suspect claimed ignorance but added that Akeza was a stubborn child.
Mukanzabarushimana pleaded for acquittal, arguing that there was no irrefutable evidence proving her guilt in Akeza's murder. Furthermore, she emphasized that she had dependent children who needed her care.
Her lawyer also advocated for her acquittal, arguing that the evidence presented by the prosecution was contentious and lacked the certainty required to establish guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.