JUBA – The South Sudan National Police Service (SSNPS) has escalated its search for four suspects linked to a brutal gang-rape incident in Shirikat, on the outskirts of Juba, South Sudan’s capital, according to Police Spokesperson Maj-Gen. James Monday Enoka.
The SSNPS reported that after a video of the incident surfaced, law enforcement apprehended four suspects, while the remaining four are still at large.
Police stated the horrific incident took place on June 19 and only came to light after the suspects shared the video on social media.
“That took place on the 19th of this month … on that day, the girl went home. Of course, because of trauma, the time she did not report to her parents,” Enoka said.
“This offense was indeed committed in Gumbo Shirikat, whereby eight criminals raped a girl … in an isolated place – All the eight of them raped the girl,” he added.
Gen. Enoka noted that as the video spread rapidly on social media, the survivor’s acquaintances contacted her family, who then filed a report at Gumbo Police Station.
“So, the police began to apprehend the criminals. Four of the eight criminals have been arrested. They are now in custody. The search is going on to arrest the remaining four,” he explained.
“The investigation is going on, and we are confident that we will apprehend the rest of the criminals. They do confess that they did the crimes; I was there, I went and interviewed them because I thought that was maybe artificial intelligence [doctored video], but that was not the case,” he revealed.
Police appealed to the public to assist in capturing the remaining four perpetrators to ensure justice is served.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Gender, Child, and Social Welfare issued a statement yesterday condemning the heinous sexual assault on a teenage girl.
“I speak before you today with a heavy heart and profound anger. The recent horrific sexual assault of a 16-year-old girl by a group of more than six boys is an unspeakable act of violence that demands our strongest condemnation,” said Minister Aya Benjamin Warille.
She emphasised that this senseless act of violence is a grave violation of human rights and an attack on the dignity and safety of young women and girls.
“We stand in solidarity with the victim and her family during this difficult time. Such acts of brutality have no place in our society and must be condemned in the strongest terms.” Minster added.
Aya stressed that this is more than a crime against an individual; it is an assault on values, the future, and collective humanity, urging swift and decisive justice for the perpetrators.
“We call on parents and community leaders to actively engage in fostering a culture of respect, empathy, and zero tolerance for violence,” the Ministry of Gender noted.
In an interview, Malala John, national coordinator at the Survivor’s Network in South Sudan (SUNS), said: “We in the network, we call upon our government, especially the Ministry of Justice and the Human Rights Commission in South Sudan and the Civil Society of Peace, we are calling for justice for the young girls.”
Malala urged police to crack down on gangs or groups in Gumbo and across Juba to prevent future crimes. She criticised those who share survivors’ photos and videos without regard for confidentiality.
“What I can say is that first, young men in South Sudan should respect one another, and secondly, they should understand that these females or ladies are their sisters, mothers. They can also put themselves in those shoes,” Malala noted.
“They must understand that women’s dignity is extremely important, and we must work closely.” Also, men should keep their young men or boys at home, this rape issue cannot help in the country,” she added.
Efforts by reporters to contact advocate Josephine Adhet Deng, a lawyer involved in the case, were unsuccessful as her phone went unanswered.
What the law says
Rape is a serious offense under Section 247(1) of the South Sudan Penal Code Act of 2008.
“Whoever, has sexual intercourse or carnal intercourse with another person, against his or her will or without his or her consent, commits the offence of rape, and upon conviction, shall be sentenced to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fourteen years and may also be liable to a fine,” partly read the Panel Code Act.
Similarly, Section 247(2) of the South Sudan Penal Code Act, 2008 states that, “A consent given by a man or woman below the age of eighteen years shall not be deemed to be consent.”
