JUBA — South Sudan Women’s Bloc, a body that advocates for women’s rights, on Monday demanded justice after a 16-year-old girl was allegedly gang-raped in Juba.
The disturbing footage appears on 19 June 2025, showing 16-year-old girl being forced into sexual acts by a group of youths who recorded the incident in the Sherikat neighborhood.
Amer Manyok Deng, chairperson of the Women’s Bloc, voiced deep sorrow and outrage following the recent gang rape in Juba, describing it as a ‘disturbing pattern’ of violence against women and children across South Sudan.
“This is not just an attack on one girl or one family; it is an assault on our collective humanity, and we must speak out. Rape is being used as a weapon of terror, and we must disarm it through unity, truth-telling, and justice,” Manyok told journalists at a press conference in Juba on Monday.
Manyok called on the government, security agencies, and community leaders to take urgent and coordinated action to address the growing insecurity and youth violence, particularly in the capital.
“Our communities are being torn apart by violence, manipulation, and tribal divisions. Our children are no longer safe. Our hearts cry out to God for mercy and healing for our homes, for our society, and for our country,” she said.
She warned that gangs are flourishing unchecked in Juba, claiming that there are more than 40 active groups in the city, with thousands of members, many of whom are school dropouts who are involved in drug use and criminal activities.
“While our daughters are organized in cultural groups, singing in churches, attending school, and helping in households, we must ask, what are our boys doing? We need our men—our husbands, fathers, brothers, and uncles—to intervene. This cannot be left to women alone.”
She also urged national security forces, the police, military intelligence, and local authorities to conduct thorough investigations, enforce the law, and disarm violent groups.
“Let this be a turning point. Let us raise one voice and say, No more rape, no more silence, no more shame. This must not be a moment but a movement. We are calling for urgent amendments to the 2003 Penal Code to increase penalties for sexual violence,” she said.
Meanwhile, a representative from South Sudan Human Rights Defenders, Akur Leek Aleer, called for transparency and accountability while handling the case.
“The case of our sister Duke is just one example. We know there are many more. People are scared to walk at night. Girls and women live in fear. We must speak out—on social media, in our homes, everywhere,” Aleer said.
Aleer emphasized that silence empowers perpetrators and discourages justice.
“Every time we stay quiet, we fail the victims. The police need to wake up. The government needs to respond. We are not safe, and that must change.”
