CASE RPA 0591/15 / HC / KIG
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5. BAPFAKURERA Samuel appealed with the purpose of proving that he was convicted
of a crime he did not commit, criticizing the evidence relied on in the first instance,
arguing that it did not prove the truth, and that his defense was ignored;
6. The Prosecution submits that the ground of appeal is unfounded, that he admitted to
spending night with the girl in the house, and the doctor confirms that the child was
raped, that his allegations that the semen found on him was a result of a dream are
unfounded, and asks the court to uphold the conviction of the judgment under appeal;
7. In the first instance, the evidence relied on to convict BAPFAKURERA Samuel of
raping a 12-year-old girl named TUYISENGE consist of TUYISENGE's own statement
that BAPFAKURERA Samuel raped her, the statement of BAPFAKURERA Samuel
admitting to spending night with TUYISENGE in the same house, the statement of a
child named TWAGIRIMANA who testified that he found BAPFAKURERA Samuel
sleeping with TUYISENGE, and that next to the place where they were sleeping there
was a semen, testimonies from the witnesses interviewed, namely NIYIBIBA, BAZI and
HABYARIMANA, who confirmed that BAPFAKURERA and Samuel BAPFAKURERA
spent night in the same house. The Gicumbi High Court confronted these statements,
corroborated them with the fact that semen was found in the place where they slept, and
concluded that the rape of TUYISENGE had taken place, and that it had been committed
by BAPFAKURERA Samuel who was with her;
(b) The Court's analysis
8. The High Court notes that Article 119 of Law No. 15/2004 of 12/6/2004 Relating to
Evidence and its Production, on which the Gicumbi High Court based its decision,
provides that in criminal cases, the evidence is based on all circumstances, and on law,
the parties having been given the opportunity to be present and cross examine each other;
9. The Court observes, however, that the analysis of the facts presented in this case, as
evidenced by the Prosecution's submissions, shows that TWAGIRIMANA, the father of
TUYISENGE, filed the complaint explaining how he found BAPFAKURERA sleeping
with TUYISENGE, and also raping her, because apart from sleeping together, he saw
semen in the place where they slept, and as to whether TUYISENGE was raped by
BAPFAKURERA Samuel, TUYISENGE confirmed it saying that BAPFAKURERA Samuel
and NSABIMANA Theoneste successfully seduced her using a phone with the intention
of raping her, that BAPFAKURERA Samuel had sex with in the night, but
BAPFAKURERA Samuel only admits to sleeping in the same house but denies having
sex with her, but that TUYISENGE had spent the night in that house when she came
asking for accommodation, fearing that her parents would beat her because they had seen
her with a phone;
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