A teacher at GS Nyarubuye A in Twumba Sector, Karongi District, has been arrested after being accused of sexually abusing and impregnating a 17-year-old student from the same school.
The student, who is now five months pregnant, reported the teacher to authorities after weeks of awareness campaigns urging learners not to hide cases of abuse.
Karongi District Mayor, Muzungu Gelard, said that the incident had been brought to their attention and that the teacher is currently in the custody of the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB).
Mayor Muzungu strongly condemned the act, urging all Rwandans to protect minors and report any form of abuse. “It is a disgrace there is no other way to describe it. A teacher, whose duty is to guide and educate, instead chooses to harm a child. Such a person cannot be considered a Rwandan educator,” he stated. “We must all denounce such behavior and ensure that anyone involved is held accountable.”
He commended the student for the courage to report the abuse, though he emphasized that prevention would have been far better. “A Rwandan child should never be subjected to sexual abuse. Our responsibility is to give them proper education so they grow into responsible citizens who will build this country. We call on all teachers and community members to refrain from acts of violence against our children, especially our girls,” he said.
In Rwanda, sex with a minor under 18 is a criminal offense. If convicted, perpetrators face a minimum of 25 years in prison, and up to life imprisonment if the abuse results in the victim contracting a sexually transmitted infection.
