The City of Kigali has expressed deep concern over the increasing number of reported cases involving sexual abuse against children, noting that most of these complaints are valid. Authorities also warned that many cases go unreported, partly due to parents who fail to properly monitor and protect their children.
City spokesperson Nitenganya Emma Claudine stated that the number of abused children remains high because some parents neglect their responsibility of ensuring children’s safety, allowing abuse to continue in silence.
Recent statistics from the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) show that during the 2023/24 fiscal year, 4,901 individuals were prosecuted nationwide for crimes related to child sexual abuse—4,767 men and 134 women.
During the same period, a total of 4,849 children were victims of sexual abuse, including 4,646 girls and 203 boys.
Speaking to Isango Star, Nitenganya said that the majority of these cases are verified and offenders receive punishment accordingly.
She said: “At the national level, over 4,000 children reported being sexually abused, and about 75% to 76% of those cases were confirmed to be true. What concerns us most is that these figures reflect only the cases reported to courts.”
She emphasized that many other children experience abuse but never get the opportunity to report it—often because parents remain unaware.
Nitenganya noted that this hidden abuse is frequently linked to poor parenting and lack of supervision, especially when parents fail to follow where their children spend their time.
She added: “Some parents don’t check on their children, making it harder to detect abuse even when it happens. They must ensure that whoever is left in charge of the child is trustworthy. Children are vulnerable at school and even more so when very young and left in day-care centers.”
The spokesperson urged families and the community not to abandon child victims once perpetrators are arrested and punished, stressing that survivors often struggle with trauma.
She said: “A girl who is sexually abused and ends up pregnant should not be blamed or mistreated. We must remember she is a victim of a grave crime—one that can carry a life sentence. It is already a serious violation, and we should not add more harm to her life.”
