A year ago, Chantal Umuhoza twitted a rape case of her sister, saying it had not got attention from the authorities she had reported to two months before.

“My sister had been raped by her boss at Beijing Hotel and Restaurant in Kigali but the case had not reached prosecution until I twitted it” Chantal Umuhoza told Rwanda Today.

Ms Umuhoza said social media is not a place to get justice but it can be a channel for holding Institutions and people accountable when somethings are not going alright. “Her file was still kept at hospital where first medical examinations were taken and immediately after reporting it on social media, her file got the attention it deserved,” she said.

However, Inspector General of National Public Prosecution Authority Jules Marius Ntete told Rwanda today that victims of Gender Based Violence should follow judicial procedures to have the perpetrators brought to accountability.

“I would not advise GBV victims to run to social media to report things that happened to them or their fellows.

The judicial procedure is sufficient to help them” Mr Ntete said. Mary Barikungeli, chairperson of Women’s Network, said despite social media being fast in exposing the culprits, the nature of GBV also makes some women use social media when there are no evidences to present to authorities. “It doesn’t take place in public and evidence may not be easily got by the victim.

So, after feeling frustrated, one resorts to social media to win themselves some justice they cannot get without evidence” Ms Barikungeli said.

Prosecution noted that there is no reason for GBV victims to get scared of lack of evidence but rather should trust judicial procedures and report their cases to authorities. “GBV victims shouldn’t even think there is no evidence to back up their stories.

There are institutions responsible for looking for evidence to help them get justice” Mr Ntete said.