School official fails to compensate college student in assault case

SOUTHERN PROVINCE MUHANGA — The family of Doris Muyizere, a student of College APSEC-Shyogwe who was assaulted by a member of staff has appealed to the government to intervene in their case over compensation. Muyizere was on August 16 assaulted by Mathias Mutabaruka the school’s legal representative-who pleaded guilty during a police interrogation after being pinned by five students. The senior 5 student has apparently been out of school for the past two months under intensive medical care. Muyizere’s family and Mutabaruka signed an agreement in which the latter was on October 17, supposed to compensate the victim with Frw300.000. However, Delphine Mukabaranga, a sister to the student, accuses Mutabaruka of not honoring the agreement after being sent to jail over another genocide crime. The family alleges that Mutabaruka knew that he would be convicted of genocide case and intentionally arranged the compensation date to coincide with the day of his Gacaca judgment in order to breach the contract. “We traveled to Gitarama on the agreed date for the compensation but in vain. Mutabaruka and his sons had switched off their phones and none of them could be traced,” the victim’s relative said at the weekend. The family also added that efforts to seek intervention of Nyamabuye Lower Court have been futile. “We have asked the court to intervene and compel Mutabaruka and his family to take the responsibility since Gacaca is a different issue from the offense committed but so far there is no hope,” the victim’s sister added. Filbert Kimenyi, a prosecutor at Nyamabuye said the complainants have to seek re-negotiation with the imprisoned offender and or lodge the case at Gitarama court in case of failure for both parties to reach a negotiated settlement. Gerald Ngendahimana, the school director, had earlier on intervened in the case but has since escaped from the country after allegedly receiving numerous death threats from the family and relatives of Mutabaruka in Shogwe and Ruhengeri. Ends