Rumonge : 15 years in prison for a man found guilty of raping his domestic servant

A resident of Rumonge was sentenced to a heavy prison sentence for sexually abusing his minor domestic servant, on January 6, 2025. The case, marked by attempts at cover-up, sparked indignation and the rapid intervention of judicial authorities, welcomed by children’s rights defenders. INFO SOS Médias Burundi

Phenias Nibogora, a resident of the Kanyenkoko neighborhood in the city of Rumonge (southwestern Burundi), was sentenced on Monday to a 15-year sentence of principal penal servitude by the provincial court. He will also have to pay 500,000 Burundi francs in damages to the victim.

The verdict was delivered in the evening, following a ruling in flagrante delicto. The victim, a 17-year-old girl working as a domestic in the convicted person’s home, had been taken into care by authorities after the incident.

A hearing in camera

The trial took place behind closed doors, given the victim’s minor age. According to judicial sources, the defense denied the accusations brought against Mr. Nibogora, but his arguments did not convince the judges.

Pressure and attempts to divert the facts

Sources close to the case report that several negotiations were organized by the family of the accused to try to divert the facts. In the first days following the crime, the victim was still living at the accused’s home, where she was allegedly subjected to pressure and attempts at intimidation so that she would retract her statement.

The public prosecutor’s office finally intervened to remove the young girl from this environment. On Friday, January 3, the prosecutor’s office ordered that the victim be taken to the Humura center in Mutambara (same province) to receive psychological support. This decision was made after noting that the victim was traumatized by the pressure exerted on her.

Management praised by children’s rights defenders

Children’s rights groups praised the way in which this trial was conducted. According to these defenders, the diligence with which the prosecutor’s office acted in this case represents an important step towards the protection of minors who are victims of sexual violence.

This conviction sends a clear message to Burundian authorities’ will to fight sexual abuses, in particular when they target vulnerable people.