KARONGI - Jean Paul Ntaganzwa, (32), a first year environmental health student of Kigali Health Institute (KHI), has been sentenced to ten years imprisonment and a fine of Rfw50.000, for defilement. He was caught two weeks ago defiling a 16-year old girl. Ntaganzwa got a lighter sentence after the judge put into account his guilty plea which made the court’s job easy. During the trial, he accepted full responsibility and sought forgiveness.Prosecution had asked court to sentence the accused to 20 years in prison. Quoting the law, prosecutor Innocent Rutayisire said if an adult is caught having sex with a girl between 14-18 years, a jail sentence of 20-25 years is recommended while below those caught with 14 years and below are handed a life sentence on conviction.. The law stipulates that if a person confesses to a crime and seeks forgiveness, the judge is at liberty to use the guilty plea as a mitigating factor. Ends
