International
Sweden: Rwandan Man Found Guilty Of Killing Wife Sentenced To Life
A
court on Friday sentenced a Rwandan man to life imprisonment and deportation
after he was found guilty of killing this wife. Jean Uwizeye, 38, was arrested
in November 2021 after he reported the death of his wife in Tyresö
municipality, Stockholm, Sweden.
Reports
say Uwizeye called police on November 19, 2021, claiming that he found his
wife, Diane Ingabire, lifeless in their home after he returned home from a
children’s park but a few hours later he was arrested after investigators
sensed holes in his story.
It
was revealed that Ingabire, 31, had previously communicated to her relatives
and friends that she feared for her life and often slept in a room and locked
herself in, fearing her husband. She had also contemplated reporting him to
police because she felt her life was in danger.
Police
found that Uwizeye made the SOS call at 17.37 on 19 November 2021 but log
system showed that he used his blip key to get into the property earlier at
16.45 – almost an hour before he made the call, when he is suspected to have
committed the crime.
Reports
further indicated that Ingabire had planned to leave her controlling and
possessive husband but unfortunately died before it could happen. The Nacka
District Court found Uwizeye guilty of murdering his wife and could be deported
to Rwanda, where they both hailed from, to serve his sentence.
“Investigations
concluded that Jean Uwizeye killed his wife using brutal force in their shared
home. In light of this, the district court considers that the act was
particularly ruthless and the suspect is thereby sentence to life imprisonment
and will be deported for committing murder,” the court ruled.
Ingabire
is said to have moved to Sweden in 2018, to join her husband who had gone for
further studies. A brilliant statistician, Ingabire’s skills quickly earned her
a job at Gapminder Foundation, a renowned Swedish non-profit venture which was
co-founded by Prof. Hans Rosling, Ola Rosling and Anna Rosling Rönnlund.
Uwizeye was sentenced to life imprisonment and risks being deported to Rwanda to serve his sentence
The
couple had two children, the first born aged four and the second born, two.
Friends of Ingabire testified that she had confided to them plans to leave her
tumultuous marriage over physical and mental abuse from her husband. It is said
that she slept in her own room, which she could lock, and on several occasions
her husband is said to have tried to get in, according to the investigation.
Relatives
and investigations found that Ingabire had previously complained about her husband’s
insecurities as he constantly accused her of being unfaithful. He had also
installed a surveillance camera in her home that secretly recorded her.
“I
feel my life is in danger.” Ingabire wrote to one of her friends. During
the second half of 2021, Ingabire sought help from several sources. She was in
contact with both the police and the social services. She also told relatives,
friends and co-workers about the situation.
Days
before the murder, a relative of Ingabire spoke to her husband but was worried
by his reaction, stating several times that he will kill her. This prompted the
relative to urge her to urgently seek protection and find a safe place to move
to but it was a little too late.
Jessica
Sandberg, a Swedish lawyer representing Ingabire’s family, said after the
ruling that there is a sense of relief that justice for Diane was eventually
served. Court was urged to seek more details on Ingabire’s last hours and the
pain she endured as she faced death.
Reports
further indicated that previously Ingabire had separated with Uwizeye but
reconciled after their families intervened. However, last year, she indicated
that things got worse and was planning to return to Rwanda in December the same
year to take a break and consult with families.
Ingabire’s
death shattered members of the Rwandan Diaspora, especially in Sweden, where
she was a member of the diaspora committee.
Who
is Uwizeye?
Jean
Uwizeye is an Economist and Data Analyst who holds a Master’s of Science in
Economics from the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU), which he
joined in 2017. He also holds a Bachelors Degree in Economics from the
University of Rwanda (UR). Before moving to Sweden, he was working with the
Rwanda Natural Resources Authority (RNRA) as an Economist.
“I
am self-motivated, a team player and solution-oriented person with good
communication skills who believe in innovation as a perfect aid that enables
human ingenuity to sustain life on the planet earth.” Uwizeye describes himself
on his LinkedIn page. He also previously worked with different projects,
including one with Enabel Rwanda, as a consultant.
Ingabire,
who was a statistician by profession, was a mother of two