Italy has apprehended a man from Burundi in connection with the 2014 killings of three Catholic nuns
Prosecutors in Parma announced on Thursday that Italy has apprehended a 50-year-old man from Burundi in relation to the murder of three Italian missionary nuns in Bujumbura, the commercial capital of the East African nation, over a decade ago.
Guillaume Harushimana is believed to have instigated, jointly organized, and logistically supported the murders of Olga Raschietti, 83; Lucia Pulici, 75; and Bernadetta Boggian, 79, during two separate attacks on September 7-8, 2014.
Monica Moschioni, a lawyer designated by the court to represent Harushimana, informed Reuters that she was unable to disclose whether he would enter a plea of innocence or guilt, as she had not yet had a conversation with him. She mentioned her scheduled meeting with him on Friday.
KILLINGS ORDERED BY GENERAL, ACCORDING TO PROSECUTORS
The prosecutors stated that the killings were ordered by General Adolphe Nshimirimana, who was the head of the Burundi secret police and was assassinated in 2015. Harushimana was among the general’s close associates, they added.
Investigators suggest that the nuns might have been murdered due to their refusal to offer medical assistance to Burundian militias stationed in Congo, conflicts regarding the financing of a youth center in Kamenge, or potentially as part of a sacrificial ritual.
The authorities in Burundi have not provided a response to the request for comment.
Prosecutors indicated that four individuals were believed to be involved in the murders. Two individuals had made confessions over the radio, while one, identified as the general’s bodyguard, was questioned in Parma and had partially acknowledged the facts, they reported. The identity of the fourth individual remains unknown.
According to prosecutors, the suspected murderers infiltrated the nuns’ compound dressed in clerical robes and departed in police uniforms. In 2014, Reuters reported that two of the three victims had been subjected to rape and decapitation.
Italian prosecutors announced the reopening of investigations into the murders in 2024, prompted by insights from a book authored by investigative journalist Giusy Baioni. This development led to testimonies from other nuns that had previously gone unheard by Burundian authorities.
According to Italian prosecutors, Harushimana’s name had already surfaced in relation to the murders, noting that he had acquired a travel visa to Italy in 2018 for a training course in the northern city of Parma.
He was reportedly taken in for questioning in Parma, where he denied any involvement, asserting that he had been outside Burundi during the time of the murders and presenting passport stamps as proof of his absence from the country.
