Rwanda National Police

The Rwanda National Police (RNP) has issued a stern warning over the new trend of child abuse where some parents, guardians and members of the public inflict injuries to children under the disguise of “disciplining,” sometimes resulting into death.

The warning follows recent cases in the City of Kigali, where some children lodged complaints to Police stations accusing their parents and guardians of giving them corporal punishments over petty mistakes.

According to Senior Supt. Rose Muhisoni, the Director of Anti-Gender Based Violence and Child Protection in Rwanda National Police, five such cases have been registered in this month alone, in Kigali.

They include one in Gikondo, Kicukiro District where some individuals seriously assaulted a 12-year old boy, who was collecting scraps in the neighbourhood, who later succumbed to injuries.

Another case also in Gikondo involves a three-year old child, who was beaten by the step-mother and broke his arm, and a 13-year old student of APE Rugunga in Nyarugenge District who was severely beaten by the father accusing her of performing poorly in school.

The girl is currently nursing injuries after the father inflicted wounds on various parts of the body.

On Tuesday, two boys from Ubumwe village of Kicukiro sector, aged between eleven and fifteen, compiled a report at the Anti-GBV and Children protection desk in Kicukiro after they were severely assaulted by neighbours.

According to the boys, two men working at a construction site in the area called them to buy for them cigarette.

When they entered the gate, however, they were severely assaulted and inflicted injuries and wounds on them.

The boys, who were taken to Isange One-Stop Centre in Kacyiru to acquire medical services, said besides giving them numerous strokes accusing them of thieving, the men stepped on their stomach and at the back inflicting on them internal pain.

“I have never involved myself in any illegal thing…I was beaten over nothing,” Manzi (another name withheld), who is an orphan, said.

The two boys said they were advised to take action against their abusers, by their neighbours as their guardians were reluctant to take action.

Angelique Mujawamariya the head of the RNP Anti-GBV and Children protection desk in Kicukiro said the abusers have been arrested and their files will be forwarded to prosecution for further legal actions.

She said majority of the child abuse cases received are sexual-based and added that they have so far received and forwarded to prosecution 15 cases since December last year.

SSP Muhisoni warned parents against corporal punishment and appealed to the public to report such cases.

“We call upon members of the to stand up against such torture and report such cases because we believe there are others that are not reported,” SSP Muhisoni said.

Sophie Uwase Mutoni from Gender Monitoring Office (GMO) also condemned such acts and called for concerted efforts against it.

“Police has done a great job in dealing with such cases of child abuse and fighting gender violence, but it can’t succeed if the community doesn’t join this campaign,” Mutoni said.

He appealed to parents and guardians to always be lenient when disciplining their children and avoid corporal punishments.