Rwanda court denies bail to senior official accused of assaulting spouse
Kigali, Rwanda (PANA) - The primary court of Muhoza in Musanze, a district in northern Rwanda, has remanded the former vice mayor in charge of Economic Development in the same district, for 30 days, for aggravated domestic battery, a judicial source confirmed on Thursday in Kigali.
Ndabereye admitted assaulting his wife on 29 August in their home in Musanze, but said that it was the first time he had done so, which is contrary to the prosecution’s submission that he had done it several times.
The prosecutor told the court that when granted bail, the defendant was likely to get involved in another domestic violence act.
Official reports indicate that gender-based violence is still a widespread problem in Rwanda, with women remaining the primary victims.
Latest official statistics indicate that Rwanda recorded at least 17,505 cases of domestic violence with symptoms of sexual and physical violence in 2018.
-0- PANA TWA/MA 12Sept2019