Darfur Crimes Court sentences police officer to life imprisonment

November 10, 2016 (El GENEINA) – Darfur Crimes Court in the capital of West Darfur State on Thursday has sentenced a police officer to 20 years in prison and fined him for rapping a young girl in an El-Geneina neighbourhood.

According to a news bulletin released by the Office of Darfur Special Prosecutor in El Fasher and seen by Sudan Tribune, the sentence was issued in accordance with the article 45/B of the Child Act, 2010.

Therefore, the police officer was sentenced to life in prison after being found guilty of rape, and was fined 5000 SGD and in the case of non-payment he would be jailed for additional six months.

The judge of Darfur Crimes Court in El Geneina, Adam Oshar, has submitted the sentence to the Supreme Court for ratification.

The convicted police officer was arrested for rapping a young girl in Al-Jebel neighbourhood on the first day of last September.

The trial lasted for four sessions and the life sentence was passed after he admitted to his guilt.

Darfur Crimes Court was established in 2005 after the International Criminal Court (ICC) decided to investigate the war crimes committed in Darfur.

However, Sudan refused to cooperate with the ICC, saying that local courts are able to examine the crimes committed since the eruption of Darfur conflict in 2003.

UN agencies estimate that over 300,000 people were killed in Darfur conflict since 2003 and over 2.5 million were displaced.

(ST)