South Sudanese student escapes jail in Rwanda lecturer assault case

A Rwandan court has sentenced a South Sudanese university student to a six-month suspended prison term and a fine of RWF 100,000 after finding her guilty of assaulting and injuring her lecturer during a dispute over academic grades.

The ruling was delivered on July 31, 2026, by the Kicukiro Primary Court, which found Viola Eli Bibi Albert guilty of assault and battery. However, the court acquitted her of a separate charge of issuing criminal threats, citing insufficient evidence to support that allegation.

In addition to the suspended sentence and fine, the court ordered Albert to pay RWF 700,000 in compensation to the lecturer. The amount covers legal fees, court expenses, administrative costs, and damages for emotional distress.

The case stemmed from an incident that occurred on June 4, 2026, following a disagreement between the student and a lecturer responsible for entering examination results into the university’s grading system.

According to court proceedings, Albert, who was in her fourth and final year of university with only one semester remaining before graduation, became upset after failing a course. The lecturer testified that after the grades were uploaded to the university system, the student confronted and physically assaulted him, causing injuries.

The prosecution also alleged that the student threatened to kill the lecturer, claiming she blamed him for repeatedly failing her. However, the court ruled that there was not enough evidence to convict her on the charge of making criminal threats.

During a hearing held on July 16, 2026, Albert admitted that she had assaulted the lecturer. She apologized, telling the court that she had acted out of anger and frustration after failing the course. Despite her apology, the lecturer declined to forgive her.

Prosecutors had sought a three-year prison sentence, while the lecturer’s legal representative requested RWF 9.2 million in damages.

After considering the evidence and submissions from both sides, the court imposed a six-month prison sentence and a fine of RWF 100,000, both suspended for one year. The judgment may be appealed within 30 days.