Over 30 detained in Aweil for ‘making love’ in public during independence celebrations

AWEIL – Police authorities in Northern Bahr el Ghazal State’s capital Aweil on Tuesday detained 31 young men during the 13^th independence anniversary for allegedly engaging in indecent behavior in public areas.

Captain Guot Guot Akol, spokesperson for the state police, told Sudans Post on Wednesday that the detainees, aged 16-20, included eight girls. They were apprehended “making love affairs” while wearing “tight attires” in busy areas, according to Akol.

“We arrested 31 young members of gangs whom we believe are from gang groups,” Akol said. “They whisked girls away on motorbikes in form of picnics during the anniversary.”

Akol expressed concern about a recurring pattern of inappropriate conduct during celebrations.

“This is not the first time to apprehend girls with boys in exchange or after making rounds in the busy areas during the celebrations,” he said.

He placed blame on parents for lax supervision.

“We tell parents to keep eyes on their children in disciplining their young girls and boys, but they come and bail them out and argue with us,” Akol said. “Now see what is taking shape, is that the culture is getting eroded, and they are getting spoiled under your watch.”

Akol urged parents to take a more active role in disciplining their children. The detainees received varying sentences, including fines ranging from 1,000 to 200,000 South Sudanese pounds (SSP) and prison terms of one to two months.

“As police we have several records of young boys and girls getting into love affairs in busy parts of the town especially at night and we tell parents to be keep eyes on their children in disciplining their young girls and boys, but they come and bail them out and argue with us,” he said.

“Now see what is taking shape, is that the culture is getting eroded, and they are getting spoiled under your watch,” Akol argued.

He concluded by reiterating the importance of parental responsibility and that the police “have got empirical evidence to attest to parents that they have a big role to play to discipline young children.”

Captain Akol did not clarify whether the fines were imposed by the court or issued as administrative penalties by the police. It also remains unclear if all 31 detainees were formally arraigned in court, given their arrest occurred on the Tuesday before Independence Day.