From Monday to Friday, courts publicly display the names of defendants scheduled to appear, whether in custody or released, depending on the judge's decision or the nature of the charges.
The general principle of justice is that suspects should stand trial without being held in detention.
However, in the 2024/25 judicial year, pre-trial detention and bail cases were significant. Courts handled 16,310 such cases involving 21,855 individuals.
Of these, judges ordered 10,358 to remain in pre-trial detention, while 6,490 were released on bail. Additionally, 1,539 individuals had their detention extended, 139 were subjected to specific judicial measures, and six were determined to have been unlawfully detained.
By the end of the judicial year 2024/25, which closed in June 2025, Rwandan courts had received over 106,000 cases, of which 74,835 â€" representing 70% â€" were criminal cases.
A report released on September 1, 2025, shows that theft was the most common crime handled by the courts, appearing in 13,956 cases. It was followed by assault and battery with 10,948 cases.
Another highly reported crime was child defilement, with 6,124 cases, while drug-related offenses appeared in 5,590 files, and the use of weapons or threats appeared in 3,194.
Other frequently prosecuted crimes included fraud (2,649 cases), unintentional bodily harm (2,497 cases), domestic violence (2,034 cases), homicide (1,780 cases), and obtaining another person's property by deception (1,659 cases).
Why do some crimes remain dominant?
For more than five years, these ten categories of crime have consistently topped Rwanda's criminal court dockets.
According to lawyer Ibambe Jean Paul of H-I Lex Partners, some crimes are interconnected in ways that make offenders likely to commit several of them.
'Take drug abuse, for instance. Once a person is under the influence, they are highly likely to engage in other crimes. They are the ones who fight, who assault and injure others, and may end up committing sexual offenses such as defilement. No person in a sound state of mind would simply decide to commit such acts. This is not unique to Rwanda â€" it's the same everywhere.' he explained.
He further noted that those who commit armed robbery are often the same who use intimidation to achieve their criminal goals.
Lawyer Ibambe added that the apparent rise in certain crimes does not always mean society is becoming more criminal, but rather that law enforcement has improved its capacity to detect and prosecute them.
'Sometimes it doesn't mean that crimes are increasing in number. What increases is citizens' awareness about elements constituting a crime and their willingness to report it. Authorities have also enhanced their ability to detect even cases that might otherwise remain hidden. In some instances, the figures rise, but that's also because investigative and prosecutorial capacity has expanded,' he explained
The prosecution's record
The National Public Prosecution Authority (NPPA) reported that in 2024/25 it received 78,489 case files, processing more than 75,000. Out of these, 42,279 were taken to court while 33,453 were archived.
Between July 2024 and June 2025, prosecutors litigated 42,378 cases, winning 39,498 â€" a success rate of 93.2%.
In specific crimes such as child defilement, prosecutors won 74% of cases compared to 65% in the previous year.
Prosecutor General Angelique Habyarimana recently said that the institution had intensified its focus on handling sexual offenses against children, aiming for their complete eradication.
'We have increased efforts in processing cases of child defilement, domestic violence, and sexual assault,' she said.
In these three categories combined, prosecutors received 8,169 files, processed 7,780 (95%), and secured convictions in 83% of cases.
Youth remain a key concern
Data shows that the majority of prisoners in Rwanda are young people, most of them convicted of drug abuse, theft, and related crimes.
'Globally, crimes like drug use and petty theft are most prevalent among youth. Once someone abuses drugs, they may fight without reason, act irrationally, and eventually get trapped in crime,' Lawyer Ibambe emphasized.
He also highlighted the risks posed by idleness: 'Young people who spend their days idle are more likely to drift into crime. The solution lies in keeping them engaged â€" some in schools, others in work opportunities. When they lack jobs or prospects, they are vulnerable to substance abuse and, eventually, criminal behavior.'
IGIHE
Source : https://en.igihe.com/news/article/what-can-be-done-to-reduce-cases-that-end-up-in-court
