The Penal Code of Rwanda has been subjected to repeal an article that spells punishments meted to a minor who makes sexual contact with another.
The new reform comes at the heels of various cases where a child that reports sexual acts first is the one held to be telling the truth.
Rwanda Law Reform Commission (RLRC) says that the reforms have been found necessary because in many cases families of female minors report to police and the boy pursued as a culprit.
Lambert Dushimimana, the legislative drafting specialist from RLRC said that reforming the Penal code was based on several complaints and various acts of the prosecution.
“We have worked on it and decided that in case the court finds no differences of three years between both children having had sex while there was no hurry to make sex, there will be no penalties,” he said.
The article 191 of the penal code indicated that whoever makes sex with a minor gets a life sentence.
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