Rwanda Public Prosecution Authority (NPPA) has started the process to estbalish a national registry of all individuals convicted for rape or defilement. In a letter seen by The New Times, the Minister for Justice, Johnston Busingye, requested the Prosecutor General to leverage existing electronic platforms to get the registry ‘up and running’ as soon as possible. The registry will be open to the public. Busingye explains that the registry will help law enforcement and justice to track repeat offenders and contribute wherever background information is required about a particular individual for particular administrative and/or legal reasons. “Individuals who get convicted for attempted or actual rape and /or defilement need to be put on notice that Government, the justice system and the public will do what it takes to ensure they transform, they are prevented from or they will pay heavily for raping or defiling again,” he said. He reminded that sexual crimes continue to plague society with lifelong harm on victims. “It is, therefore, imperative that, in addition to current policy and operational measures in place, we need to think constantly about more deterrent measures. These offences should be fought relentlessly until they become too scary to commit,” he said. Rwandans have of recent taken to social media to criticise Members of Parliament, particularly women, for being silent on the continuous rise of rape and defilement cases. According to official statistics, 17,849 underage girls were impregnated in 2016 alone. The number slightly eased to 17, 337 in 2017 before jumping to 19,832 in 2018. From January to August last year, teen pregnancies increased to 15,696, which translates to an average of 1,962 a month. Based on that trend, an estimated 23, 544 children were born to teen mothers in 2019. Broken down by leading districts in 2018, Nyagatare registered 1,465 teen pregnancies, Gatsibo 1,452, Gasabo 1,064 and Kirehe 1,055. For MP Suzanne Mukayijore, a member of the Rwanda Parliamentary Network on Population and Development, there is need to take the fight against teen pregnancies to the grassroots level. ‘Culture of silence’ Drawing from the success story of the ‘Gerayo Amahoro’ road safety campaign by the Rwanda National Police, Mukayijori said that the same resources and zeal can be used to intensify the battle against teenage pregnancies. “Why can’t we invest the same energy in campaigns to fight teenage pregnancies? Let us involve every teacher, religious and local leaders, parents and every child. Let us tackle this issue from the bottom,” she said. One of the challenges that have come at the forefront of the reasons behind the rise in the number of teenage pregnancies is the ‘culture of silence’. Some families continue to cover up for the people involved in impregnating teenage girls; owing it to family ties, fear of social alienation and financial incentives. Mukayijori told The New Times that speaking up is still a challenge in Rwandan society, especially in rural areas, but holding families and society accountable will significantly contribute to lowering the numbers. “The people making these girls pregnant are known to society but no one is willing to speak up. Families keep silent, neighbours follow suit and, in the end, you have a society that is covering up for people who, in some circumstances, end up being repeat offenders,” she said. Mukayijori suggested that authorities should find a way to hold such families or members of society accountable for their silence.
