The Supreme Court of the State of New York has put out a public notice summoning a Rwandan man over alleged rape that took place in a New York hotel. The suspect, Eugene Gasana, was a Rwandan diplomat based in New York. He was relieved of his duties in 2016. The summons, dated June 14, 2019 reads in part: “You are hereby summoned to answer the complaint in this action and to serve a copy of your answer, or, if the complaint is not served with this summons, to serve a notice of appearance, on the plaintiffs attorney within 20 days after the service of this summons, exclusive of the day of service (or within 30 days after the service is complete if this summons is not personally delivered to you within the state of New York); The summons adds that; “And in case of your failure to appear or answer, judgment will be taken against you by default for the relief demanded in the complaint.” According to the Legal Notice that was signed by the plaintif’fs lawyer, Steven Cash, the suspect cannot be traced and his whereabouts are yet to be known. His unavailability prompted the publication of the Summon in media both in Rwanda and the US. According to reports, the woman aged 21 at the time said she was working as a summer intern for the UN when the alleged rape took place. The case was filed at the trial-level court of general jurisdiction in the New York State. While Gasana was fired from his UN posting in August 2016, US media reported that the he was granted permanent US residency in 2018. And, in March 2019, the suspect met Uganda’s President Yoweri Kaguta in Uganda. If Gasana does not show up as summoned, he is subject to entry of a “default,” which means the case will, in sum, be decided automatically in favor of the plaintiff, said Mr Cash, the plaintiffs lawyer in an email interview with The New Times. To read the full summons click here
