Gauthier died on October 3, leaving behind a legacy of determination and commitment to ensuring that those suspected of taking part in the genocide were held accountable.
Together with her husband, Alain Gauthier, she spent years tracing suspected genocide perpetrators who had sought refuge in France and helping bring them before the courts.
Born in Butare, southern Rwanda, in 1954, Dafroza met Alain when he was working as a teacher in Rwanda. The two later married in France and had three children.
Although she was living in France during the genocide, its impact on her family was devastating. Around 80 members of her family were killed, a loss that would shape her lifelong pursuit of justice.
In 1996, Dafroza and Alain began working to identify suspected perpetrators living in France and ensure that their cases received the attention of the judicial authorities. Five years later, in 2001, they established the Collective of Civil Parties for Rwanda (CPCR), an organisation dedicated to helping bring those suspected of involvement in the genocide to justice.
Through the organisation, the couple gathered information about suspects, collected witness testimonies and evidence, and shared their findings with judicial authorities to support investigations and prosecutions.
Their work earned them recognition in Rwanda. On November 18, 2017, President Paul Kagame awarded the couple the Impeta y’Igihango medal in recognition of their contribution to strengthening cooperation between countries.
The funeral service was held at Saint-André Church in Reims on the morning of October 12, before Dafroza was laid to rest later in the afternoon. Family members, friends and officials gathered to pay their final respects.
Rwanda’s Ambassador to France, François Nkulikiyimfura, offered condolences to her family, remembering her as someone whose dedication to justice would not be forgotten.
He also delivered a message from President Kagame on behalf of the Rwandan government and people.
“On behalf of the Government and people of Rwanda, and in my own name, I extend my deepest condolences to her family, friends and all those who had the privilege of working with her. May she rest in peace,” Kagame said.
The president said Dafroza would remain in the hearts of Rwandans for her unwavering efforts to ensure that those responsible for the genocide were brought to justice.
Her legacy lives on in the pursuit of justice for victims and survivors, and in the work to ensure that the crimes committed during the genocide are neither forgotten nor left unpunished.
