Kinshasa court sentences doctor to suspended term in assault case involving patient

Kinshasa, April 3, 2026 - The Kinshasa/Kinkole High Court has sentenced Dr. David Balanganayi to two months of penal servitude, suspended for one year, in a case stemming from a widely circulated video showing him physically assaulting a patient.

The judgment, delivered on Friday, found the doctor guilty of simple assault and battery after reclassifying the initial charge of aggravated assault and battery. The court, however, dismissed accusations of torture and the publication of a criminal act, ruling that the evidence did not support those charges.

Under the suspended sentence, Dr. Balanganayi will avoid immediate imprisonment but will remain under probation for one year. Any further offense during this period would trigger enforcement of the custodial sentence.

In its civil ruling, the court ordered the state, held civilly liable, to pay compensation totaling 6 million Congolese francs to the plaintiffs, identified as Kidimba Kongolo Jean and Moya Dorcas.

The case, which has drawn significant public attention in recent days in Kinshasa, began after a video surfaced online showing a medical professional striking a patient, triggering widespread outrage on social media.

Public reaction intensified after First Lady Denise Nyakeru Tshisekedi publicly condemned the incident, calling for accountability.

During his defense, the doctor argued that his use of force was intended to compel the patient to accept treatment in a situation he described as critical, claiming it was aimed at saving her life.