The share of young people prosecuted in Rwanda fell to 40% in the 2025-26 judicial year from 51% a year earlier, with authorities saying they will step up efforts to keep youth out of crime.
A total of 32,231 people aged 18 to 30 were prosecuted during the year, Prosecutor General Habyarimana Angélique said Friday as Rwanda opened its 2026-27 judicial year at a ceremony in Kigali attended by senior government officials and other stakeholders.
Prosecutor General Habyarimana Angélique
“Looking at the proportion of people prosecuted by the Office of the Prosecutor General, 40%, equivalent to 32,231 people, were aged between 18 and 30, compared with 51% in the previous year,” Habyarimana said.
She said the prosecution service would strengthen measures to prevent young people from becoming involved in crime, citing their importance to the country.
Habyarimana pointed to efforts to combat substandard alcoholic beverages, saying the campaign had been accompanied by a reduction in crimes committed by people who consume them.
The prosecution service said theft and assault causing bodily harm were the most common offences during the year, together accounting for 49% of all case files received.
Drug-related offences also remained among the cases frequently prosecuted. The prosecution service reported a 98% success rate in such cases and said drug use can contribute to other crimes.
Overall, the Office of the Prosecutor General received 71,276 case files and made decisions on 68,232, representing 95.7% of the total.
Of those cases, 4,793 were referred to courts, while 27,439 were closed on various grounds, including payment of fines, reconciliation between complainants and accused persons and other reasons provided for under the law.
The prosecution service said it would continue promoting alternative dispute-resolution mechanisms to settle cases without resorting to courts, saying they can help deliver faster and more effective justice while putting citizens at the center of the process.
