Consent and age of consent
Law N° 68/2018 of 30/08/2018 determining offences and penalties in general (the Penal Code) defines a child as a person under 18 (art. 2(8)) and builds the offence of child defilement on that definition, not on the victim's consent (art. 133). Rape of a person aged 18 or over is a separate offence under art. 134 and exists when a sexual act is imposed without consent by force, threats, trickery, authority over the victim or exploitation of the victim's vulnerability; art. 135 punishes indecent assault, and art. 149 sexual harassment. Article 133 was rewritten twice, by art. 4 of Law N° 69/2019 (gazette of 29/11/2019) and by art. 14 of Law N° 059/2023 (gazette of 05/12/2023), so the version quoted below is the 2023 text unless another date is given.
The 2023 text of art. 133 sets 20 to 25 years' imprisonment for any of the listed sexual acts on a child; life imprisonment when the child is under 14, when a child of 14 or over is left with an incurable illness or a disability, and when an adult commits the offence and afterwards makes the child his or her husband or wife. A child aged 14 to under 18 who commits the offence on a child of the same age range through violence, threats, trickery, abuse of the victim's weakness or administration of psychoactive substances is punished under art. 54, which sets 10 to 15 years where an adult would face life and at most half of the adult penalty otherwise. The 2018 original added that no penalty was pronounced when the act took place between children of at least 14 without violence or threats; the 2019 and 2023 rewrites no longer contain that sentence. Since 2023 'the offence of child defilement is imprescriptible' (art. 133(7)).
On rape of an adult, art. 134 sets 10 to 15 years and a fine of FRW 1,000,000 to 2,000,000. The sentence rises to more than 15 and under 20 years, with the same fine, when the victim is over 65 or has a disability or illness preventing self-defence; to more than 20 and up to 25 years with a fine of FRW 500,000 to 1,000,000 when the victim is left with an incurable illness or disability; and to life imprisonment when several persons commit it, when the victim dies, when the victim is a relative up to the second degree, or when it was committed to infect the victim with an incurable disease.
Lesser offences are priced separately. Indecent assault without consent carries one to two years and a fine of FRW 100,000 to 300,000, or two to three years and FRW 500,000 to 1,000,000 when committed in public, and both penalties are doubled when the offender is a descendant or ascendant of the victim, a superior, a teacher, a public official, administrative representative or minister of worship abusing the post, or a doctor or medical worker acting against a person in his or her charge, or when the offender was assisted by one or more persons or used force or threats (art. 135). Sexual harassment, defined as repeated remarks or behaviour with sexual overtones that violate the person's dignity or create an intimidating or hostile situation, carries six months to one year and FRW 100,000 to 200,000, and an employer or superior who uses the position carries one to two years and FRW 200,000 to 300,000 (art. 149). Online, art. 35 of Law N° 60/2018 punishes cyber-stalking with six months to two years, but only on the offended person's complaint, and art. 34(2) punishes soliciting a child through a computer system to meet for sexual activity with three to five years.
Marriage does not remove the protection. Article 137 punishes a person who commits physical and sexual violence on his or her spouse with three to five years, and art. 5 of Law N° 59/2008 on gender-based violence says that spouses have equal rights over sexual relations, reproductive health and family planning and that it is forbidden to have sex with one's spouse without consent. Article 17 of the Constitution requires the 'free and full consent' of each person to a marriage, and art. 146 of the Penal Code punishes anyone who plays a part in forcing two people to cohabit with one to two years and FRW 200,000 to 300,000. In 2018 the UN Human Rights Committee recorded that Rwanda had told it that the Penal Code in preparation would apply the same penalties to all perpetrators of rape.
Sentencing rules changed in 2023: under art. 60 as amended by Law N° 059/2023 a judge who accepts mitigating circumstances may reduce a life sentence to no less than 15 years and a fixed term from six months upward to no less than half of the minimum penalty. The 2018 and 2019 texts of art. 133 said life imprisonment for abuse of a child under 14 'cannot be mitigated by any circumstances'; the 2023 text says only 'life imprisonment'.
Key points
| Child defilement (any sexual act on a person under 18) | 20 to 25 years (Penal Code art. 133(2), Law No. 059/2023) |
|---|---|
| Child under 14 | Life imprisonment (art. 133(3)) |
| Time limit for prosecution of child defilement | None: imprescriptible (art. 133(7)) |
| Rape of an adult | 10 to 15 years and a fine of FRW 1 million to 2 million (art. 134) |
| Indecent assault | 1 to 2 years and FRW 100,000 to 300,000; doubled penalties for the aggravating positions listed in art. 135 |
| Sexual harassment | 6 months to 1 year and FRW 100,000 to 200,000; employer or superior: 1 to 2 years and FRW 200,000 to 300,000 (art. 149) |
| Physical and sexual violence against a spouse | 3 to 5 years (art. 137) |
| Forcing a couple to cohabit | 1 to 2 years and FRW 200,000 to 300,000 (art. 146) |
| Sex with a spouse without consent | Forbidden (Law N° 59/2008 art. 5) |
In practice
- Report to the Rwanda Investigation Bureau: 166 takes emergency calls and crime tips, 3512 is the line for reporting domestic and gender-based violence, and the RIB home page carries a 'Report a case' button for its online portal.
- For medical care and forensic evidence, go to an Isange One Stop Centre (RIB line 3029); the UK government's guidance of February 2025 says the centre at Kacyiru Police Hospital is free and open 24 hours, that evidence is better kept if you report early, and that you need not report to the police to receive medical care.
- Where the victim is a child, call 116, which the RIB lists as the line for reporting child abuse.
- For online harassment, file a complaint yourself: art. 35 of Law N° 60/2018 provides that prosecution is brought only on the complaint of the offended person.
Where to go
- Rwanda Investigation Bureau, headquarters KN5 Rd, Kamukina, Kigali (P.O. Box 137): hotlines 166, 3512, 116 and 3029; open Monday to Friday 8:00 to 17:00, with emergency hotlines stated to be available 24/7 at weekends and on public holidays.
- Isange One Stop Centres: 48 centres nationwide according to the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion, attached to hospitals.
- Gender Monitoring Office, KN 5 Rd 12, Gishushu, Kigali: toll-free 5798 and online GBV complaint form.
Worth knowing
The number 14 in art. 133 is a sentencing threshold, not an age of consent: the offence covers every person under 18 (art. 2(8)), the penalty becomes life when the child is under 14, and art. 54 governs young offenders aged 14 to under 18.
Frequently asked questions
What is the age of consent in Rwanda?
The phrase 'age of consent' appears nowhere in the Penal Code of 2018 or in its 2019 and 2023 amendments: art. 133 punishes sexual acts on a 'child', defined as a person under 18 (art. 2(8)), with 20 to 25 years, and with life imprisonment if the child is under 14.
Can a husband or wife be prosecuted for sexual violence against a spouse?
Yes: art. 137 of the Penal Code punishes physical and sexual violence against a spouse with three to five years, and art. 5 of Law N° 59/2008 forbids sex with a spouse without consent.
Is there a time limit for reporting child defilement?
No: art. 14 of Law N° 059/2023 rewrote art. 133 of the Penal Code to add that the offence of child defilement is imprescriptible.
Sources
- Law N° 68/2018 of 30/08/2018 determining offences and penalties in general (Penal Code), Official Gazette Special of 27/09/2018 -- gazette copy published by Laws.Africa — arts 2(8), 54, 133 to 135, 137, 146, 149 as published in 2018
- Law N° 69/2019 of 08/11/2019 amending Law N° 68/2018 of 30/08/2018 determining offences and penalties in general, Official Gazette Special of 29/11/2019 -- Ministry of Justice copy — art. 4: second version of art. 133
- Law N° 059/2023 of 04/12/2023 amending Law N° 68/2018 of 30/08/2018 determining offences and penalties in general, Official Gazette Special of 05/12/2023 -- gazette copy archived by Gazettes.Africa — arts 2 and 14: art. 60 as amended and art. 133 as rewritten (paragraphs 1 to 7)
- Law N° 59/2008 of 10/09/2008 on prevention and punishment of gender-based violence -- publication copy by Laws.Africa — art. 5: equal rights in sexual relations, reproductive health and family planning; no sex without the spouse's consent
- Law N° 60/2018 of 22/08/2018 on prevention and punishment of cyber crimes, Official Gazette Special of 25/09/2018 -- gazette copy published by Laws.Africa — arts 34(2) and 35
- Constitution of the Republic of Rwanda of 4 June 2003 with amendments through 2015 (Constitute Project text) — art. 17: free and full consent to marriage
- UN Human Rights Committee, follow-up to the concluding observations on Rwanda (CCPR/C/RWA/CO/4 of 24 March 2016): letter of the Special Rapporteur for follow-up of 8 November 2018 with the Committee's evaluation of Rwanda's reply of 8 May 2018 (CCPR/C/RWA/CO/4/Add.1) — State's reply recorded by the Committee on equal penalties for all rape offences
- Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) -- contact page: hotlines, headquarters, opening hours — hotlines 166, 3512, 116 and 3029; address and hours
- Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) -- home page: 'Report a case' portal and hotlines — 'Report a case' portal
- Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion (MIGEPROF) -- Family promotion and child rights protection: Isange One Stop Centres, toll-free lines, Law No. 59/2008 — 48 Isange One Stop Centres
- Gender Monitoring Office (GMO) -- official website: toll-free line, complaint forms, address — toll-free 5798, GBV complaint form, address
- UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, 'Rwanda: information for victims of rape and sexual assault' (last updated 18 February 2025) — Isange centre at Kacyiru Police Hospital free and open 24 hours; medical care without a police report
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Domestic violence
Law N° 59/2008 of 10/09/2008 defines gender-based violence as any act that results in bodily, psychological, sexual and economic harm to someone just because they are female or male, inside or outside the household (art. 2(1)), and makes it a duty of every person to prevent such violence and to rescue, or call for the rescue of, its victims (art. 10). The Penal Code of 2018 supplies the penalties: art. 121 for assault, art. 137 for physical and sexual violence on a spouse, art. 147 for harassing a spouse, art. 148 for violence or harassment against a spouse over family planning, and art. 128 for threats. Article 334 of the Penal Code repeals every earlier provision inconsistent with it, without listing them; the UN Human Rights Committee recorded in 2018 the State's view that art. 36 of Law N° 59/2008, which punishes refusing to assist a victim or to testify about violence against oneself or someone else, and so reached victims who refused to testify, had been implicitly repealed by the earlier 2012 Penal Code.
The 2025 Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey measured the problem, using for the first time a revised questionnaire module that also covers never-married women who have had a partner. Among women aged 15 to 49, 33% have experienced physical violence since the age of 15 (37% in 2019-20) and 19% sexual violence by any perpetrator (23% in 2019-20), against 22% and 5% of men. Of women who have ever had a husband or intimate partner, 39% reported emotional, physical or sexual violence from the current or most recent one (33% emotional, 26% physical, 11% sexual; men 23%), 30% reported such violence by a partner in the 12 months before the survey (men 17%), and 54% reported at least one controlling behaviour. The report adds that the share of ever-married women who had experienced physical, sexual or emotional partner violence rose from 40% in 2014-15 to 46% in 2019-20 and 48% in 2025, and that among women with physical or sexual partner violence in the last 12 months 43% were injured. Of women who had experienced physical or sexual violence, 41% had sought help to stop it, 26% had told someone without seeking help and 32% had done neither; those who sought help turned first to their own family (38%), then to the husband's or partner's family (20%) and a neighbour (14%).
Penal Code art. 121, as rewritten by art. 11 of Law N° 059/2023, ties the penalty to the victim and the harm: wilful injury or beating carries six months to one year and FRW 100,000 to 300,000; when the victim is a child, a parent, a spouse or a person unable to protect himself or herself because of a physical or mental state, one to three years and FRW 300,000 to 500,000; illness or non-permanent incapacity to work, three to five years and FRW 500,000 to 1,000,000; incurable illness, permanent total incapacity to work, full loss of function of an organ or mutilation, five to ten years and FRW 1,000,000 to 2,000,000; premeditation or ambush, five to ten years and FRW 2,000,000 to 3,000,000; and death of the victim, ten to twenty years and FRW 3,000,000 to 5,000,000 (art. 121(6)). Beyond assault, art. 147 punishes harassing a spouse with intent to prevent him or her from living a peaceful life with one to two years, art. 148 punishes violence or harassment against a spouse because of the spouse's decision to practise family planning with two to six months, and art. 128 punishes threats to harm with one to two years and FRW 300,000 to 500,000.
Law N° 59/2008 adds family-law consequences written in 2008: its art. 6 says gender-based violence is one of the causes of divorce, art. 4 forbids harassing a spouse in order to deprive him or her of property or employment rights, and art. 19 set six months to two years for coercing a spouse to sexual intercourse, a penalty later overtaken by the three to five years of art. 137 of the 2018 Penal Code. Article 10 of the 2008 law also bans the use of drugs, films, signs, language and other means with the intention of exercising gender-based violence.
Services are organised by the State. According to the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion there are 48 Isange One Stop Centres, each with a safe room for women and one for men, plus four safe shelters, an Access to Justice office in each of the 30 districts with a staff member handling gender-based violence cases, and 29,674 'Inshuti z'Umuryango' volunteers who protect children. In its 2018 reply to the UN, Rwanda stated that the number of Isange centres had grown from 7 in 2013 to 44 in 2017, all in district hospitals, offering safe shelter, medical and psychosocial counselling and medico-legal aid round the clock. The Committee nevertheless regretted that Rwanda had not taken measures to guarantee the issuance of protection orders and noted a large discrepancy between the cases received by the National Public Prosecution Authority and those brought before the courts.
Key points
| Wilful assault on a spouse, child or parent | 1 to 3 years and FRW 300,000 to 500,000 (Penal Code art. 121(2), Law No. 059/2023) |
|---|---|
| Assault causing illness or non-permanent incapacity to work | 3 to 5 years and FRW 500,000 to 1,000,000 (art. 121(3)) |
| Sexual violence within marriage: Penal Code | 3 to 5 years for physical and sexual violence against a spouse (art. 137, unchanged by the 2019 and 2023 amendments) |
| Harassing a spouse | 1 to 2 years (art. 147) |
| Violence or harassment over the spouse's use of family planning | 2 to 6 months (art. 148) |
| Threats with intent to harm | 1 to 2 years and FRW 300,000 to 500,000 (art. 128) |
| Violence by the current or most recent partner, ever (women / men who have had a partner) | 39% / 23% (RDHS 2025) |
| Violence by a partner in the last 12 months (women / men) | 30% / 17% (RDHS 2025) |
| Women who experienced physical or sexual violence and sought help | 41%; 32% neither sought help nor told anyone (RDHS 2025) |
In practice
- Dial 3512, the Rwanda Investigation Bureau's line for reporting domestic and gender-based violence, or 166 in an emergency; the Isange One Stop Centre line is 3029.
- Go to an Isange One Stop Centre at a district hospital for medical care, counselling and a medico-legal report in one place; according to the Ministry, each centre has separate safe rooms for women and men.
- Use the Gender Monitoring Office's toll-free line 5798 or its online GBV complaint form to lodge a complaint about how a case was handled.
- Ask the Access to Justice office of your district for help, since the Ministry says each of the 30 districts has one with a member of staff for gender-based violence cases.
Recent changes
Law N° 059/2023 of 04/12/2023 (gazette of 05/12/2023) rewrote art. 121 of the Penal Code and lowered its penalties: in the 2018 text wilful assault carried three to five years and FRW 500,000 to 1,000,000, and more than five and up to eight years and FRW 1,000,000 to 2,000,000 when the victim was a child, a parent, a spouse or a person unable to protect himself or herself; the 2023 text sets six months to one year, and one to three years for those victims. The National Commission for Human Rights told Parliament on 30 October 2024 that it had surveyed the impact of sexual and gender-based violence on teenage mothers' enjoyment of their rights.
Where to go
- Rwanda Investigation Bureau: 3512 (domestic and gender-based violence), 166 (emergencies and crime tips), 116 (child abuse), 3029 (Isange One Stop Centre).
- Isange One Stop Centres in district hospitals (48 according to the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion).
- Gender Monitoring Office, KN 5 Rd 12, Gishushu, Kigali: toll-free 5798; info@gmo.gov.rw.
- Toll-free lines listed by the Ministry: National Public Prosecution Authority 3935, Ministry of Justice 3736, Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion 9059.
Worth knowing
Two penalties for coercing a spouse to sexual intercourse appear in the statute book: six months to two years in art. 19 of Law N° 59/2008 (2008) and three to five years in art. 137 of the Penal Code (2018), which repeals inconsistent provisions (art. 334); and the UN Human Rights Committee had not yet seen guaranteed protection orders in 2018.
Frequently asked questions
Does Rwanda have a domestic violence law?
Rwanda has Law N° 59/2008 on prevention and punishment of gender-based violence, which the State still cited to the UN in 2018, and the Penal Code of 2018 punishes violence against a spouse (art. 137), harassment of a spouse (art. 147) and assault (art. 121).
What is the penalty for beating a spouse?
Under art. 121(2) of the Penal Code, as rewritten in 2023, wilful injury or beating of a spouse carries one to three years and FRW 300,000 to 500,000, and more if it causes illness, permanent incapacity or death.
Can a court issue a protection order?
In its November 2018 follow-up the UN Human Rights Committee regretted that Rwanda had not taken measures to guarantee protection orders for victims and repeated its recommendation; the laws opened for this page do not set out such an order.
Sources
- Law N° 68/2018 of 30/08/2018 determining offences and penalties in general (Penal Code), Official Gazette Special of 27/09/2018 -- gazette copy published by Laws.Africa — arts 121 (2018 text), 128, 129, 137, 147, 148 and 334 as published in 2018
- Law N° 059/2023 of 04/12/2023 amending Law N° 68/2018 of 30/08/2018 determining offences and penalties in general, Official Gazette Special of 05/12/2023 -- gazette copy archived by Gazettes.Africa — art. 11: art. 121 of the Penal Code as rewritten
- Law N° 59/2008 of 10/09/2008 on prevention and punishment of gender-based violence -- publication copy by Laws.Africa — arts 2(1), 4, 6, 10, 19 and 36
- Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey 2025 (2025 RDHS) -- Final Report (National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda and Ministry of Health; data collected from 5 June to 25 October 2025) — chapter 19, domestic violence: key findings, physical and sexual violence, intimate partner violence, help seeking
- Rwanda Demographic and Health Survey 2019-20 -- Final Report (National Institute of Statistics of Rwanda, Ministry of Health and The DHS Program, September 2021) — chapter 16: 2019-20 comparison figures (37% and 23%)
- Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion (MIGEPROF) -- Family promotion and child rights protection: Isange One Stop Centres, toll-free lines, Law No. 59/2008 — 48 Isange One Stop Centres, four safe shelters, 30 Access to Justice offices, IZU volunteers, toll-free lines
- UN Human Rights Committee, follow-up to the concluding observations on Rwanda (CCPR/C/RWA/CO/4 of 24 March 2016): letter of the Special Rapporteur for follow-up of 8 November 2018 with the Committee's evaluation of Rwanda's reply of 8 May 2018 (CCPR/C/RWA/CO/4/Add.1) — State's reply on Isange centres, article 36 of Law N° 59/2008, protection orders and case attrition
- Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) -- contact page: hotlines, headquarters, opening hours — hotlines 3512, 166, 116 and 3029
- Gender Monitoring Office (GMO) -- official website: toll-free line, complaint forms, address — toll-free 5798 and address
- National Commission for Human Rights, 'The Commission presented its annual report before the Parliament' (30 October 2024) — survey on sexual and gender-based violence and teenage mothers
The general article: Domestic violence · Compare with another country