An extensive inquiry into a case of alleged sexual abuse continued on Wednesday as a joint team of detectives from Rwanda Investigations Bureau, National Public Prosecution Authority and Forensic Laboratory went to the site where it all started.
A reliable source told Taarifa that this joint team of detectives was directed to the house in Remera sector where Inyemera Cyling team of girls was hosted three years ago.
Along with these detectives was Straton Nzabazumutima, the alleged suspect and Bertin Mukarukundo the alleged victim.
“It is alleged that a rape was committed in this house in Remera more than two years ago. This involves careful documentation, recognition and analysis of physical evidence,” Justice Minister Busingye Johnston said on Wednesday.
In an earlier interview with Taarifa last week, Mukarukundo had narrated her ordeal when her own coach, Nzabazumutima, subjected her to forced sexual intercourse that resulted into a pregnancy in 2016.
Nzabazumutima was in 2017 briefly detained but was released on grounds that there wasn’t any substantial evidence to pin him, according to Mukarukundo’s narration.
This seemingly complex matter currently under Public Prosecution has seen investigations re-opened two years later to collect every single detail needed before the case dossier would return to court.
The same joint team of detectives on Monday travelled to Nyamiyaga sector in Gicumbi district at Mukarukundo’s home, exhumed the body of a long deceased baby and collected samples needed for carrying out paternity test at the Rwanda Forensic Laboratory (RFL).
Taarifa has also reliably learnt that detectives from the Forensic Laboratory have taken samples from the suspect (coach Nzabazumutima) and alleged victim Mukarukundo.
The paternity test is currently ongoing and would take an entire week for the results to be released.
Meanwhile, more evidence has to be collected from the site the alleged sexual abuse incidence occurred.
This is why both the suspect and alleged victim were led to this site to help in reconstruction of the entire scene.
However, a concerned lawyer, Felix Irafasha, questioned the rationale of this investigation into a crime committed two years ago.
“And they expect to find physical evidences? That’s really amazing,” he wondered while inquiring from the Minister on Twitter.
The minister did not take long to respond to concerns raised by Irafasha and chipped in to expound on the validity of this probe.
“Me Felix, e.g. they can find the house, a sitting area, a bed room, compound, see the neighbourhood, can measure various distances…..can analyse whether in those physical conditions a rape was possible or not. This adds to other evidence and, piece by piece, conclusions are made,” Minister Busingye responded.
According to locals, when the detectives arrived at this house, some people in the neighbourhood immediately identified with the suspect referring to him as ‘coach’.
The suspect was later led into the house as detectives went on with their inquiries.
Investigations continue.
