Kacyiru: Police arrests locals suspected to have tortured a boy due to his mental illness

These locals were arrested on 21, July, by the Police for their alleged torturing actions against an 18 years old boy claiming they were curing him from a mental illness he has been suffering for ten years ago.

SP Mbabazi Modeste told reporters that Police intervened after being informed that there were locals grouped into a religious sect called Abarangi who bound the boy, legs and arms, and started to beat him severely so heal him from his ten years-long mental illness.

Photos show that the boy has been severely beaten to legs and was wounded. The suspected ones used the noisy and traditionally manufactured musical instruments to heal him  quicker and better, they said.

The owner of the household where this scene happened named Julienne Mukashema told Umuseke that she is accustomed to heal such mental disorders  using these methods.

The arrested  are accused to have withheld the sufferer and treated him inhumanely since May this year.

Mukashema revealed  they bound the boy to hinder him from escaping and leave the medical treatments he was ‘prescribed for’. The use of the noisy instruments was intended to charm the sufferer and soften his pain.

She told reporters that she owns medical papers testifying her ability to cure such illnesses.

She informed that she suffered a similar mental illness in the past and learnt to cure such diseases afterwards.

Mukashema revealed to both Police and media that she practices such medical activities daily but at night, she stops due to the fact that most of her neighbors have got jealous  due to her profit making activities.

SP Mbabazi could not believe that these illegal and so-called medical and traditional healing activities are still in practice in Kigali city.

He told reporters that the arrested ones are will be brought to justice for having tortured and wounded a citizen.

Creating noisy environment n Kigali city is also legally unacceptable, thus, the arrested will be brought to justice, he added.

SP Mbabazi urged the public to keep informing Police about whereabouts where such atrocities are likely to happen or are being conducted.

UM– USEKE.RW