AWEIL – Police in Aweil West County of South Sudan’s Northern Bahr El Ghazal State have detained a suspect accused of raping a 17-year-old girl at Marial-baai payam.
Northern Bahr El Ghazal Police Spokesperson, Mr Madut Ngong Aleu, described the incident which happened over the weekend as a “heinous act” punishable by law.
“The 19-year-old suspect is being detained for committing a crime of raping a 17-year-old girl at Marial-baai. According to the preliminary reports on the ground, he is said to have subdued the young girl at night, and the crime ensued,” said Aleu.
“This is punishable. The details related to the incident are being collected, and the suspect will be arraigned in court,” he added.
Ngong warns the public, especially parents, against giving their children too much freedom to wander off their homesteads late at night.
“There is a great role that parents need to play. They don’t need to sit with their arms crossed, thinking that the police or the girls themselves can protect themselves from such heartless individuals in the community. It is a collective role,” he stated.
One of the local residents echoed a similar call, urging parents to be vigilant at night as girls and boys have a trick of teaming up at water points without the knowledge of their parents.
“What is happening nowadays is something more uncultured. You find boys and girls going to the water points like boreholes. A girl may say “I am going to bring a jerrycan of water”, but that is a white lie, what kind of water to be brought home late. Time is time, never allow girls to get room and then blame boys for the acts,” said a resident who preferred to be known as John.
Section 247 of the South Sudan Penal Code Act 2008 defines rape as sexual or carnal intercourse committed with another person, against his or her will or without his or her consent. The practice also constitutes sexual and gender-based violence punishable by imprisonment.
