Civil rights activists on Wednesday expressed disappointment over the five year-jail term given to two police officers who raped two teenage girls in Maridi.
A court in Maridi last week sentenced two police officers to five years in jail, after they were found guilty of raping two teenage girls who were under police custody.
Secretary general of the Civil Society Forum in Maridi, Wilson Martin Michael commended the conviction of police officers, but he said the five year-jail term is not enough.
“We were surprised that these people were sentenced for five years only, which is not even half of the fourteen years, we are really not satisfied with that ruling,” He said.
However, Martin added that since the ruling is in place the two accused should serve their maximum sentence as an example to others.
Meanwhile, the Executive Director of Foundation of Democracy and Accountable Governance or FODAG, Jame David Kolok said there must be disciplinary measures taken against the perpetrators, not just a a few year in prison.
“We as civil society still feel the sentence given are deeply disturbing in the sense that when you look at the magnitude of the crime they two officers committed, five years seems to be very little,” Jame said.
He urged the court to put some tough measures in place in order to send a message to anyone who thinks of committing an act of rape.
According to the South Sudan Panel code Act, any person that engages in sexual activities with a person below 18 is considered to have committed defilement or rape, and the penalty is jail term between seven to fourteen years.
