Burundian Man Arrested in Italy for 2014 Murder of Italian Nuns

In a significant development, the carabinieri of Parma, Italy, have arrested 50-year-old Guillaume Harushimana, originally from Burundi, in connection with the murders of three Italian nuns in Bujumbura, Burundi, in September 2014. This arrest follows a reopened investigation in 2024 that yielded new testimonies, reviving a case that had previously been archived due to insufficient evidence. The victims, Olga Raschietti, Lucia Pulici, and Bernardetta Boggian, were members of the Saverian missionary congregation based in Parma. Raschietti and Pulici were brutally murdered on the afternoon of September 7, 2014, while Boggian was killed later that evening, and her body was found decapitated. According to the Parma prosecutor's office, the nuns were allegedly killed on the orders of Burundi's secret police, then commanded by General Adolphe Nshimirimana, as an act of retaliation for the religious facility's refusal to care for injured militants. Harushimana is identified by authorities as a close associate of General Nshimirimana and is seen as instrumental in orchestrating the murders, albeit not as the direct executor. He is believed to have assisted the actual perpetrators by guiding them to the convent and facilitating their escape disguised in police uniforms. This troubling case, highlighting the intersection of faith, violence, and political unrest, raises serious questions about justice and accountability for foreign victims in conflict zones. The nuns' tragic story resonates strongly in Italy, where they were beloved figures, and their deaths continue to evoke outrage and sorrow years after the incident. As the investigation progresses, it remains to be seen what further revelations may emerge about the motivations and machinations behind this heinous crime. Related Sources: • Source 1 • Source 2