The new Penal Code of Rwanda indicates that some articles regarding the penalty of adultery may be removed. The Rwanda Law Reform Commission – RLRC revealed this during a press briefing at the presentation of achievements of the ongoing process of reforming Rwanda Penal Code.
The legislative drafting specialist from RLRC, Lambert Dushimimana said that the new penal code does not provide for extramarital related crimes since marriage pacts do not vary from other codes. This is not regarded as a crime but an act of disregarding a promise,” he noted. He added that if marriage is a promise like others, why should someone who has disrespected a promise be penalized.
He further said that sometimes a spouse caught red handed in adultery is imprisoned and the trial ends when a partner forgives her/him. He however said that one of them can request divorce as granted in laws guiding relationships of spouses.
Dushimimana says that articles regarding prostitution have been removed as they are not considered crimes even though they grant decisions for a prostitute caught red handed. The article goes with penalties offered to a person caught red handed with a prostitute while prostitution is not a crime. The penal code under reform process was redesigned in 2012 after the 1977 one.
Articles of the penal code were reduced from 766 to 490.
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