A mobile Court in Mundri West County of Western Equatoria State on Friday sentenced a 26 years old man to ten years in prison and pay a fine of 500,000 South Sudanese pounds.
Samuel Abu sexually assaulted a 14 years old girl on March 23rd, 2022 in Mundri.
According to the ruling, the presiding Judge for the special Court, Andrew Joshua Lado said the court has found Samuel Abu guilty for violating section 26 of the child right Act and section 247 of South Sudan Penal Code Act 2008.
He added Samuel Abu held the teenage girl in his room against her will and he sexually assaulted the young girl twice.
The prosecutor stressed that the accused forcefully held the teenager’s hand on March 23rd, 2022 at around 11:00 PM and dragged her into his room against her will and consent of her parents and had sexual intercourse with her twice.
The presiding judge also said, the girl narrated her ordeal to the court saying the accused closed her mouth whenever she cries out for help. “This statement is a direct evidence under section 66 of early and forced marriage and so the accused person violented the right of the victim under article 17 of the constitution of South Sudan 2011 as amended,” he reiterated.
In conclusion of the verdict, the prosecutor proved beyond reasonable doubt that “the accused is guilty of the offence by having sexual intercourse with underage girl without her consent therefore, the accused is guilty under penal code act 247 of South Sudan Penal Code Act 2008, and sentenced ten (10) years of imprisonment effectively immediately according to provision section 247 of penal code act of 2008, secondly the convict Must pay an amount of 500,000 South Sudanese pound to the Victim as a remit”, said Joshua.
This is the first case judged by the team from the mobile court since it was launched early this month.
Last week during, the county commissioner Zilipher Dawa appealed to citizen to use this opportunity and register any case with the mobile court team for justice to prevail.
The court session will continue for one month before the team return to Juba.
The mobile Court is set up by the United Nation Development Program in collaboration with the local authority of Mundri West County in Western Equatoria State
