A Manhattan court in the United States has ordered former Rwandan Ambassador to the United Nations, Eugène Richard Gasana, to pay $4 million (over Rwf 7 billion) in damages after finding him liable in a civil sexual assault case.
The ruling stems from a lawsuit filed on June 14, 2019, by a Rwandan woman who alleged she was sexually assaulted in 2014 while working as an intern at Rwanda’s Permanent Mission to the United Nations in New York.
Court documents indicate that Gasana, who was then serving as Rwanda’s Permanent Representative to the UN and chairing a UN Security Council-related role, was found responsible for assaulting the 21-year-old intern.
The jury concluded that he was liable for the alleged rape and awarded the survivor $5 million in damages, according to court findings.
Lawyers from Liston Abramson LLP, representing the complainant, described the case as a long legal battle marked by significant challenges, saying the survivor showed “remarkable resilience” in pursuing justice.
They also alleged that the defence attempted to discredit the survivor and intimidate witnesses during the proceedings.
According to the legal team, the verdict sends a strong message that accountability applies regardless of an individual’s diplomatic rank or political standing.
Court filings reported by The New York Post state that the survivor was first invited by Gasana to meetings at the Millennium Hilton Hotel and One UN Plaza in New York, where she was later taken to a room that appeared to be a meeting space but contained a bed.
She alleged that she was raped during that encounter and did not immediately report the incident due to fear for her safety and concerns about possible repercussions affecting her and her family in Rwanda.
The lawsuit further alleges that a second assault occurred weeks later, on July 11, 2014.
