Tuesday 24 February 2009

A desperately sad tale from Rwanda

This is from last week's "New Times" newspaper. Kamonyi is the District between Gitarama and Kigali, amout 15 miles away from Gitarama. They key to the whole desperate story is in the last paragraph.

baby retrieved from pit latrine

BY DANIEL SABIITI

KAMONYI – Police and students at College APEC-Rukoma in the Kamonyi district on Wednesday rescued a newly born baby which had been dumped in a school pit latrine by the mother.
School sources said the mother, Venancie Uwamurera, a Senior Six student of the same school had a normal delivery before dumping the baby in the pit latrine. The infant was discovered by other students who heard it screaming.
Uwamurera said that she was aware of her late pregnancy but didn’t intend to dump the child in the pit.
“I didn’t realise that I was supposed to deliver, I felt like going to the toilet, and only heard the baby falling into the pit,” she said.
She added, “it was a shame and it won’t be easy to face this child and say the truth, but I will ask my child for forgiveness when she grows up.”
The girl who reportedly experienced severe bleeding was later together with the baby transferred to Kigali Central Hospital for immediate medical attention.
The Kamonyi District Police Commander, Chief Inspector of Police, Innocent Semigabo, condemned the incident and appealed to parents and teachers to always monitor children.
Police say she could face charges of attempted murder, which attracts 25 years imprisonment on conviction.
Uwamurera claims that the pregnancy was as result of sexual abuse by one Nason Nsengimana, though she had never reported the case.
Ends

No comments: