24.04.09 - RWANDA/GACACA - AN ACCUSED, WHO SAVED LIVES OF TUTSIS, IN COURT OVER ALLEGED RAPE

Kamonyi , 24 April 2009 (FH) - The trial of rape-accused Eugene Naramabuye, who saved lives of many Tutsis during the 1994 genocide, is dragging on before a  semi-traditional Gacaca court of central Rwanda because of the absence of the plaintiff.

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For the sixth consecutive time, the gacaca court of the Gihara sector, Kamonyi district , near Kigali, had to defer the proceedings on Thursday.

After a short hearing in closed session, the bench left to announce that the trial was deferred until next week.

Several Tutsis have affirmed publicly that the accused saved their lives when they had sought refuge in the parish of Gihara.

However, Naramabuye is accused of having raped a young girl in April 1994, named Gloriose, who was later murdered by attackers.   

"An aunt of the victim filed a complaint, but she has not appeared at the trial," a member of the bench told Hirondelle Agency.

 According to Naramabuye, of all the people whom he had hidden in the parish (where he worked), only Gloriose did not survive, he regretted with tears from his eyes.

Ten survivors of the genocide have already testified in favour of Naramabuye, among them, an employee of the Central Bank of Rwanda, Livine Mukarage.

SRE/ER/MM/SC/GF

© Hirondelle News Agency