Unity state concerned by two Rubkotna rape cases

June 27, 2013 (BENTIU) – A 15-year old girl was raped on Wednesday in Nhialdiu Payam [district] of Rubkotna county by a 25 year old man, according to Unity state minister of gender, child and social welfare.

Lubna Abdelgani told Sudan Tribune the culprit had been arrested but the parents of the girl had allowed the man to be released without charge after the man agreed to pay the family a dowry if three cows in order to marry the girl.

Despite this Abdelgani said the government would be “following up the case seriously to bring the wrongdoers into book despite parents’ agreement with culprit.”

The girl was admitted to Bentiu hospital the day after the attack for a treatment, before both parents agreed accept the dowry from their daughters rapist.

Abdelgani said eradicating rape attacks in rural areas would be challenging due to ignorance and poverty. Informing parents and advocating for girl’s rights should not be left for the government and human rights activists alone, she said, urging the general public to play a role.

“We need to open our eyes on all angles to eliminate the re-occurrence of all sorts of violence against women”, said the minister.

The minister says she is following up the case with the state’s police commissioner to find out why he was released. Earlier this month the minister warned that traditional marriage dowries had doubled making it hard for young men to have enough cows to get married.

A 22-year-old woman is reported to have been raped by a South Sudanese soldier along the Pakur road this week according to the officials in the area. The victim says she meet five soldiers in the rural area while on her way to main town in Rubkotna county.

One of the soldiers, the women said, decided to remain behind pretending to be resting but started to follow her some minutes later and kicked her to ground before raping her.

“I was asked by the SPLA officer if he call for parade would I recognise the face of culprit, I told him no I would not be able because the culprit attack me [from] behind while I was walking”, said the victim who wished to remain anonymous.

Abdelgani said the 22-year-old is receiving treatment in Bentiu hospital and said she was coordinating with the militarily to bring the culprit to book.

In 2011 a 40-year-old woman was raped in Rubkotna county by five men of whom she alleged were wearing SPLA uniforms. Earlier this month a ten-year-old girl was raped and killed to death by a man in Juba.

(ST)