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Akuchol says she was subjected to forced marriage and torture by her father.
Matuet, who previously served on the national parliament’s human rights committee, maintains his innocence. “I never signed a death sentence for my daughter,” he asserted. “That’s a lie. Who said that? I want to make it clear that I did not sign any death sentence for her.”
He claims the court returned his daughter to his custody and denies any allegations of a death sentence. “This is a case of adultery,” Matuet explained. “My daughter is now with me in my own house. You can come and see her today or tomorrow. This is a case of adultery where this man paid seven cows and the case was settled in 2020.”
Matuet insists he acted within community norms. “We, the community, need to stay innocent and not be misled by those who come from abroad,” he said. “They should not get us involved in these issues.”
He accuses Lam, a former lover of Akuchol’s, of fabricating the death sentence story. “The person who said I signed a death sentence for my daughter is Lam, and nobody else,” Matuet declared. “This is Lam, the same one who committed adultery with my daughter after she was already married.”
Akuchol, however, presents a different narrative. Represented by lawyer Kachuol Benjamin, she alleges forced marriages orchestrated by her father. Benjamin emphasizes Matuet’s position as a lawmaker. “He is a lawmaker who should uphold the law, not break it,” Benjamin stated.
According to Benjamin, Akuchol obtained a divorce from her first husband, Maker Marial Makuei, in 2020. The divorce was upheld by the Rumbek County Court and later confirmed by the state high court.
However, Akuchol’s family members appealed the decision, which Benjamin argues was unlawful. He further claims Akuchol was subsequently subjected to an illegal retrial and then detained in the notorious Rumbek Rock City military detention facility.
Benjamin maintains that Akuchol was eventually released by order of the Supreme Court. He accuses Matuet of manipulating the justice system and using the military to detain his daughter.
Akuchol herself alleges forced marriages arranged by her father and physical abuse. “The two husbands I had were chosen by my father, not me,” she stated. “He made all the arrangements for my first marriage, and after my husband went abroad, he forced me to marry another man.”
Akuchol describes a harrowing ordeal of being tied up, threatened with death, and forced to stay with her second husband. She claims her escape and subsequent divorce angered her father, who allegedly sought to have her killed.
The accusations and counteraccusations paint a complex picture of a family dispute with potentially serious legal ramifications. Both sides have vowed to pursue their cases in court.
