Three young men sentenced to ten years in Sudan’s Rumbek for impregnating girls
By Manyang Mayom
December 8, 2010 (RUMBEK) – The Lakes state court sentences three young men to ten years imprisonment for unlawfully impregnating girls.
According to judge Geri Raimondo Legge, the law being used to sentence the accused is a new customary law amended by Lakes state Assembly members this year. The new customary law demanded that young man who impregnates a girl must be sentenced to ten year in imprison and must pay a 3,000 SDG ($1,207 US) and three cows.
Lakes state youth objected the new customary and youth called upon the state legislature to change it.
Lakes state governor Chol Tong Mayay, said that this customary law was amended by Lakes state lawmakers with aim to reduce the high pregnancy levels in the state. He added that a good number of girls had drop out of school due to early pregnancy.
According to Tong Kot, a student of law in the University of Juba, “in customary law, a person has never been imprisoned simply because he conceived with, or impregnated a girl, even during the years I spent in law school. I have never come across a customary law in which the person has impregnated a lady is sentenced to eight years imprisonment. This law must be amended because it is against Dinka customary principles, which should have been the guide to those who draft this kind of legislation. They should have used this principle as guidelines to them because they contain all our norms, values and customs of our society”.
(ST)
Anyang
Three young men sentenced to ten years in Sudan’s Rumbek for impregnating girls
This is a bad law and must be change.
Omoni Atari
Three young men sentenced to ten years in Sudan’s Rumbek for impregnating girls
Bravo law makers.
Lake state citizens have to understand that we are moving forward,and we are not long a bid by customary law. This is a mordern sudan.
The judge really did a great job sentenced the men for ten years,that is really fair and meet with international standard.Only lake state parliamentarians can change or amend this Law,not student from Juba university,like kong.
Law makers, we are all behind you.
Omoni,
Young Nation
Three young men sentenced to ten years in Sudan’s Rumbek for impregnating girls
Come on my dear Lakes State MPs. I see no leniency in your legislation on your very own subjects. Ten years, three thousand pounds and three herds of Cows is tantamount indeed to the offenders. Why not skycroket the number of Cow and pounds instead of ten years. The number of Cows, will, in my view become uniform with our Dinka culture.
I can see that the legislators legislated such legislation to rest the issue of pregnancy throughout the State’s eight counties by scaring off the perpetrators. Honestly speaking, that particular legislation is beyond the immagination of Lake States youth although pregnancy outside marriage has become widespread in Lakes State. Please review and adjust that particular legislation.
Young Nation is a Son of Rumbek who lives in Brisbane, Australia
Deng E. Manyuon
Three young men sentenced to ten years in Sudan’s Rumbek for impregnating girls
The law makers in Lakes State need to be realistic!! This new customary law is still debatable. If a young man who impregnates a girl with her full consent is to be sentenced to ten years and fined US 1,207 and 3 cows, what about a young man who sexually assults or forcibly rapes a girl???
On the other hand, Judge Geri Raimondo should know that Lakes State girls drop out from school, not because of pregnancy. It is because of forced early marriage. Breathing space is to be given to this new customary law. No need for rush!! Let’s us debate it.
By the way I need to hear from Wal Peter Muoranyar in this regard. He has not been contributing for a while. I hope he is well.
Thanks Manyang Mayom for your report.
Deng
Victory
Three young men sentenced to ten years in Sudan’s Rumbek for impregnating girls
Bravo judg geri for this positive step in the Law of South Sudan,as for so-called tong kot of Law student,what kind of Law are you studing? the judg said:the Law has been issued within the state in order to reduce the high level of ilegal pregnancy nothing els,as he mention earlir that a good number of womens droped out of school due to early pregnancy,lets ecourge our womens by supporting them &protecting them. Womens of south sudan oyyeee.
AUGUSTINO DENG
Three young men sentenced to ten years in Sudan’s Rumbek for impregnating girls
It is actually true that “little education is a disease” This is a real surprise when three men are captivated in captive for ten years just because that they impregnated girls. This is completely unjustful law in Lake State. I thought that these three men have killed somebody, but if it is just because of impregnating the girls, then the court or the judge himself must had drink.
I can criticize Chol Tong Mayay through the word he said that “the customary law was amended by Lake State to lawmakers with an aim to reduce the high pregnacy levels in the State”. I think that Mr Governor Chol Tong Mayay came from Khartoum and that is why he don’t even know what to said. If this guy was in the Movement, then he could know that the war in Sudan have lost the life of million people in Southern Sudan. So, this time, we need more people to replace these people whose life were been lost through in war. Frankly speaking, Mr Chol Tong Mayay, as a governor of Lake State, need to leave the office otherwise he will be useless to the people of Lake States. After all, it is also imperative for the judge Mr Geri Raimondo Legge to impose such absurd judge on these three people. I know that Mr Geri Raimondo Legge is from Equatoria and he need to go back to Equatoria to impose such useless law to Equatorian people. If Mr Geri Raimondo Legge was a judge, then why he didn’t sent those of Arabs people who impregnated the Equatorian girls in Juba to jail for ten years? I can said that Judge Geri Raimondo Legge is a GAYMAN and he pretended himself in Lake State that he is a judge. What does the word “WOMAN” mean to him if he is not an empty minded?
“Little education is a disease for sure and I agree with it”
By Augustino Deng. Jech la mer from Tharpam.
Wafa'a
Three young men sentenced to ten years in Sudan’s Rumbek for impregnating girls
Bravo for this customary law. It should be implimented in all states. A message for youth in South Sudan, if you want your country to be built, up to a modern ,civilized standard, and become a nation….let the girls get education, so a good generation will be built.
Omoni Atari
Three young men sentenced to ten years in Sudan’s Rumbek for impregnating girls
All of you are wrong except Victory.
Victory.
Let us leave those people who are defending the sex-offenders alone.And i do urge the Lake state law makers to continue their policies.Those who opposed this judgement are the one rape,molest maim and tortured young ladies across south sudan.
we went to school in order to help our community or country in such problem,so now how come you help and support the evil doers? otherwise there is no different between you and Arabs. you are in university, and you are still a big fool.
let the law play its own game.
Padiet Deng Alony
Three young men sentenced to ten years in Sudan’s Rumbek for impregnating girls
Lake state judge should also give sex education in school so that the girls know how to enjoy sex without getting pregnant. Our girls are not serious about their education too. the girl and the boy all should be sentence to ten years alike because that was by consent between them when they exercise sex.If it because of girls education young men are punish like that then how can we get solution to prevent that early pregnancy. we should seek solution before punishment, because when two were having sex they do not mean to pregnant themselves that was part of basic need.
are these young men refused to marry the girls as per Dinka customary law if they refused then they deserve it, if not then that was unfair.
Haak
Three young men sentenced to ten years in Sudan’s Rumbek for impregnating girls
very sad news as no different to lose of life of any southern sudanese during this tough time of referandum, that very judge lack rationality in judging such case, first those Lake state Mps are very arwkward and brutal to passed that stupid so called customary law,i did causin to law but i cann’t passed that law i would have been lake mp, the question is, do the youth impregant girls out of their consesus or through all accepting it? this is tipical ‘Share law’ the Dinka of lake ashame the rest of Dinkas, i agreed with what that law student from juba university that it should be revsied again otherwise i personall advise the youth leadership of Lake state to come out opennly and challenge those barbaric Mps who want to degrand the Dinka norms, belief, customs and values,
shame of judge who implement backwardise law
Haakamadology
Chier Akueny
Three young men sentenced to ten years in Sudan’s Rumbek for impregnating girls
Those who proposed this laws are out of their minds. Even no imprisonment if the girl is over eighten(18) because the lady knows what she is doing. We must make lives of people fair according to the laws but not to such useless amending.
Shame on parliamentary of Lake State.
marko malou
Three young men sentenced to ten years in Sudan’s Rumbek for impregnating girls
Well done,but don’t you know that, Sex is some thing that can not be control,you have punished everybody incuding yourselves.This customary law will be like “Majer’s law” otherwise!!.
Appach Yar
Three young men sentenced to ten years in Sudan’s Rumbek for impregnating girls
This law is void. It portrays nothing worth law-making and brings bad image to the state leaders. Whoever set this law lacks self analysis and societal understanding of norms and traditions.
It makes pregnancy more of crime than adultry? Lakes state MPs are the greatest adulterers ever met; and pretenders. I would like each and every leader of Lakes State to examine himself/herself starting from the past marriages taken by them; including the head of the state – Mr. Governor who endorsed the bill into law.
How many MPs and Ministers of Lakes State married under-aged girls with the last two years. This pains a lot when a person, so influential in the society, pretends to be the perfect. Is this law going to stop all the attrocities of Lakes State? Is impregnating girls the only crime found out by the lakes MPs to be the only crime dragging us behind?
Let us be realistic and come to the point and find out what brings problems to state. Before I agree with the law, what is the penalty of adultery, which i consider to be more of a crime than impregnating a girl? What is the penalty of someone who has embezzled public funds including our leaders?
1988
Three young men sentenced to ten years in Sudan’s Rumbek for impregnating girls
This new law should be retracted and reformed. A realistic law such as 10,000 SDG should be put in place with up too two years imprisonment instead of 10 year sentence in which the South Sudanese tax payer is going to be paying for the food and other amenities the prisoner is going to need. Also with that money the victim and her family could support the child, who has been born out of wedlock. The new law needs to definitely looked over and ratified.
makuei
Three young men sentenced to ten years in Sudan’s Rumbek for impregnating girls
Dear Readers of ST,
As some one who has a copy of this law handy, I would for your interest, like to enclose the following true quote of the Chapter, section and sub-section that talk about this topic that appears to be controversial. Here it reads,
CHAPTER 5: “REJECTION OR JILTING OF IMPREGNATED LADY/GIRL BY HER LOVER:
Section. 33.
1) Whoever rejects or jilts impregnated lady/girl commits an offence of destruction and upon conviction, shall pay 3 cows for the damage and 7 cows for the redemption of the child, which sum up to 10 cows in total and fine of 1,000 SDG.
2) For none Dinka/pastoralists shall pay 2,000 SDG for the damage and fine of 1,000 SDG and 15,000 SDG for the redemption of the child.”
Friends,where is it mentioned here that the one who impregnates a girl shall be sentenced to ten year imprisonment and a fine of 3,000 SDG? For interpretation, this law affects only a man who rejects or jilts a lady/girl whom he has impregnated. A man who accepts responsibility of his doing and marries the girl instatntly, is safe. Don’t be fooled by this traitorous reporting and journalism.
Makuei
Tribe
Three young men sentenced to ten years in Sudan’s Rumbek for impregnating girls
Folks,
Out of these long comments, the thing I notice is that people just want to comment instead of commenting to what has been posted.
According to the article, there is no mentioning of rape or sexual abuse. What the article has said is the impregnation of girls and ten years imprisonment for those who are assumed to be culprits—the young men and less the author was using one word over another. In that sense I would not blame anyone. In light of that, there is no correlation between the two terms. According to the dictionary, the meaning of “impregnate” in this context is to make a woman pregnant, whereas “rape” is to force somebody into an unwanted sex. So, there has to be an explicit picture of how one should approach this article instead of jump about and mixing the unrelated words just to perplex or cause ambiguity in minds of folks, or make a point.
However, coming to judge what has been said if the author truly meant what he has just wrote, then I would say that Lake State and its Govern were wrong and are still in every context. The law cannot hold one accountable while living the other to walk free or with high impunity from her contributed misconduct. What I mean here is that it is hard to determine here who in the first place solicit the other. Maybe it was the girl who initiated or solicited the boy to have sex and led to pregnancy. What would the law say if that was what had happened? Throwing young men into a jail for ten years, I believe it is unlawfully and wrong in any ground. What if they love each other and the man is ready to pay the demanded dowries?
The law needs to be repeal or re-amend to meet the standard of our current society. The law cannot treat one as saint and the other as evil in the community where we both boys and girls as our sons or daughters. Imagine if you where the parents of a son who had impregnated other parents daughter and at the same time had a daughter who has been impregnated by parents’ son. I know it is rare to see those cases occurring at the same time and that is way I want you to just imagine. I think if you are a sound minded person, you would not want your son or other boy who had impregnated your daughter to be jailed for ten years. You would look for an equilibrium or amicable way to solve both cases.
Anonymous
Three young men sentenced to ten years in Sudan’s Rumbek for impregnating girls
The fact is our country is still young in democracy, lack of well train; equip judges, and law makers. Most of our judges are still following the traditional law, which most of us southerners seconded. And this put the education of our young girls imperil.
I agree with all those who contributed in the forum, there is no good or wrong answers, as we continue to observe, re-direct, re-adjust our thoughts about the laws that should be followed by our judges, we will come to a fairer and decent laws that will not be bias towards boys or girls. Remember we need to encourage the education of girls in our country while knowing that we should not abandon our traditional way of life.
However, when writing your argument know your audience and know what replies or answers you expect to gain from the discussion and this will help you to adjust, and focus more on satisfactory results without attacking any one. Anonymous
Nhomlawda
Three young men sentenced to ten years in Sudan’s Rumbek for impregnating girls
MPs in Lakes State should first weight positive and negative impacts of these imprudent legistations before passing them.
This so called customary law is completely against Dinka tradition and values. It is inconceivable such laws are passed by visionary representatives of the people in the name of correcting societal problems that had existed for centuries. Pregnancy out of wedlock is neither new to Dinka cultures nor is it a crime but a social issue which should be addressed within already established Dinka social mechanisms for addressing such issues. Rape may qualify for such harsh criminal punishment but not pregnancy that resulted from sex where parties involved had consent to.
Please advise Chol Mayay not to be supporting such cruel and insensible judgements. He was elected by youths to champion development because the old men where not longer seeing far but instead he is getting himself into conflict that he will never win.
Rgds, Nhomlawda
ogopa2011
Three young men sentenced to ten years in Sudan’s Rumbek for impregnating girls
WTF!!!
Whoever supports this dumb law is a fucking idiot!! Those law makers gotta get some new brains. They are shits!!!
Get the gentlemen out of the goddamn jail. They are innocent!!!!!
makuei
Three young men sentenced to ten years in Sudan’s Rumbek for impregnating girls
Having tried to be informative about the whole saga, it’s being interpreted that I am in support of the law facing opposition from most of you commenting here. Well, my point was simply on the wrong way it appeared in the report.
However, I am still available to even supply the real copy of the law to anyone in need so that people can oppose it knowing the proper wording of the document.
Makuei