Rwandan man found guilty of killing his wife sentenced to life – KT PRESS
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 his wife’s death in Tyresö Municipality, Stockholm, Sweden.
Reports say Uwizeye called the police on November 19, 2021, claiming 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 noticed holes in his story.
It was revealed that Ingabire, 31, had earlier informed her relatives and friends that she feared for her life and often slept in a room and locked herself, for fear of her husband. She had also considered reporting him to the police because she felt her life was in danger.
Police found that Uwizeye made the SOS call at 5:37 p.m. on November 19, 2021, but the log system showed he used his blip key to enter the property earlier at 4:45 p.m. – almost an hour before he made the call, when he is suspected of committing crime.
Reports further indicated that Ingabire had planned to leave her controlling and possessive husband but sadly died before that could happen. Nacka district court found Uwizeye guilty of murdering his wife and could be deported to Rwanda, where they both came from, to serve his sentence.
“Investigations concluded that Jean Uwizeye killed his wife with brutal violence in their shared home. In light of this, the district court considers that the act was extremely reckless and the suspect is thus sentenced to life imprisonment and deported for 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 landed her a job at the Gapminder Foundation, a well-known Swedish nonprofit co-founded by Prof. Hans Rosling, Ola Rosling and Anna Rosling Rönnlund.
The couple had two children, the first born four years old and the second born two. Friends of Ingabire testified that she had confided in them plans to leave her tumultuous marriage due to physical and mental abuse from her husband. It is said that she slept in her own room which she was able to lock and on several occasions her husband allegedly tried to get in, according to the investigation.
Relatives and investigations found that Ingabire had previously complained about her husband’s insecurities as he kept accusing her of cheating. 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 his friends. In the second half of 2021, Ingabire sought help from several quarters. She was in contact with both the police and 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 about his reaction and stated several times that he will kill her. This prompted the relative to urge her to urgently seek shelter 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 verdict that there is a sense of relief that justice for Diane was finally served. The court was asked to seek more information about Ingabire’s final hours and the pain she endured as she faced death.
Reports further indicated that Ingabire had previously separated with Uwizeye but reconciled after their families intervened. But last year she indicated that things were getting worse and planned to return to Rwanda in December of that year to take a break and consult with families.
Ingabire’s death devastated 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 has a bachelor’s degree in economics from the Swedish University of Agriculture (SLU), which he started in 2017. He also has a bachelor’s degree in economics from the University of Rwanda (UR). Before moving to Sweden, he worked 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 tool that enables human ingenuity to sustain life on planet Earth.” Uwizeye describes himself on his LinkedIn page. He has also previously worked on various projects, including one with Enabel Rwanda, as a consultant.