South Sudanese expressed mixed reactions over the decision of the High Court sentencing Babu Emmanuel Lokiri to death by hanging for killing three siblings in one of the suburbs of Juba on August 1st.
On Monday October 24th, 2020 the high court in Juba sentenced the 24 year old University student offering Medicine to death by hanging after pleading guilty to the murder of the three children.
The accused has been given 15 days from the day of the court’s verdict to appeal his sentence.
Many of people said the culprit deserved to die to for killing the three innocent souls while others says killing him would not yield any benefit.
Baba Kimoi Dominic believed that killing Babu will not bring healing to the family for the loss of these children.
He suggested life imprisonment for the culprit instead of death sentence citing an example that the even terrorist are sentenced to life imprisonment.
“Killing the perpetrator will not heal the parents of these children, the best option would have been life imprisonment that way Babu will have to regret what he did. Even terrorists are not killed nowadays instead they are sentenced to life imprisonment,” he explained.
Another citizen Rose said anyone who intentionally kill people should be subjected to death in order to scare others.
“ How can you kill three children of the same parents, this children would have been future leaders to me such a person does not have the right to live, he should be killed for what he did,” she lamented.
Meanwhile Moses regretted that the process of court hearing for this case went too fast, and more investigation should have been done.
Another citizen who identified herself only as Grace applauded the court for passing this judgment over the case.
She feels that by sentencing the killer to death, justice has prevailed to the family of the deceased children.
“What Emmanuel did is not even close to being human, I’m happy that the court found him guilty and now he has to pay for his crimes. At least justice has prevail for these three children,” Grace explained.
However Stella thinks that Babu could be asked to repent and be given another chance.
