KUAJOK – A Somali trader identified as Ibraham Hamdin in Wunrok Payam in Twic County of South Sudan’s Warrap State has been arrested for allegedly impregnating a 17-year-old schoolgirl and instructing her to take pills to terminate the pregnancy.
According to police investigator Maleng Ngor, the incident shocked residents of Wunrok, who described the girl as active and focused in school before the tragic turn of events. Ngor said the girl admitted to having carried out the abortion under the trader’s instructions.
“The 17-year-old, identified as Akon, dumped the foetus in a pit latrine at her home. On Tuesday night, a foul smell alerted family members, prompting her cousin, Simon Mabuoc, to investigate. He discovered the dead baby in the latrine,” Ngor told this publication on Wednesday.
Mabuoc subsequently reported the matter to the police. The girl, who was found bleeding heavily, was taken to a health facility for treatment and is now hospitalised. Police confirmed that the aborted baby was a boy.
Ngor said the Somali suspect is currently in custody and has been transferred to Turalei, the county headquarters, where he will face legal charges once investigations are completed.
“This is not the first time we have handled such a case,” the officer added, noting that it marks the third reported incident of abortion or child dumping in the area. A similar case occurred in Gogrial East County last month, where a woman allegedly disposed of her newborn.
Observers have attributed the rise in such cases to economic hardship and fear of social stigma. Many, they say, resort to illegal abortions to avoid responsibility or relationship fallout from unwanted pregnancies.
Under South Sudanese law, abortion is a criminal offense unless performed by a qualified medical practitioner to save the life of the mother, with the consent of both spouses. Offenders can face lengthy detention if found guilty.
