Attribution of Guilt to Offspring of Perpetrators of the Genocide: Rwandan People's Perspectives

Abstract

This study, conducted in Rwanda, examined the attribution of guilt to offspring of people who were directly involved in mass atrocities: To what extent can the son or grandson of a small farmer who participated in the genocide be considered as guilty of his father's or grandfather's deeds? Two qualitatively different views were found. The majority view was that offspring were totally free of guilt. The minority view was that perpetrators’ offspring inherited at least part of their genitors’ guilt, especially that of their fathers.