Girl Killed Over Non-Existent Pregnancy in Sudan

A 13-year-old girl has been battered to death in Lakes State for reportedly falling pregnant.

Nyandiar Makur Kachuol of Rumbek East County was beaten to death on Sunday by a group of six young men led by her brother.

The class five pupil at Bar-Aliap Primary School died from wounds that were inflicted upon her by the group that accused her of being impregnated by another man out of wedlock.

The Rumbek East County Commissioner David Marial Gumke confirmed the incident and said the six have been arrested and are awaiting interrogation at the Rumbek main prison.

Gumke said the girl had denied being pregnant and had even left a note after being left for the dead saying: “These men have killed me while am not pregnant and I want the public to know that”.

A doctor’s report confirmed that the girl was not pregnant as alleged by her attackers.

This is not the first time such an incident happened in Lakes State especially in Rumbek East County as a female student at Atiaba Secondary School was beaten to death by her parents for falling pregnant.

In Wulu County a girl committed suicide when she was forced by her parents to marry a man against her will.

However, the state government did not act on any of the cases.

Leaders have urged the youth to refrain from such violent acts, saying the girl-child has equal rights in the society.

Commissioner Gumke said girls deserve respect from their male counterparts and should not be regarded as “a store of wealth”.

The Lakes State SPLM Assistant Secretary for Popular and Syndicated Organisation Rebecca Enock Macuoc condemned the incident and urged all the youth to observe international law and respect women.

Ironically, the incident came barely a fortnight after the Lakes State youth protested against a customary law which they termed ‘oppressive and absurd’.

The new customary law that was amended last year by the State Legislative Assembly dictates that any young man who impregnates a girl will be sentenced to ten years in prison besides being fined 3,000 Sudanese Pounds and three cows.

The protest came after three young men were sentenced to ten years imprisonment for impregnating young girls in Rumbek.

Youth in the state have called upon the State Legislative Assembly to amend the Act, saying it is akin to adopting shariah laws widely applied in North Sudan.

However, the Lakes State Governor Chol Tong Mayay defended the Act, saying it will check the rising pregnancies among young girls in the state.

“Many girls are dropping out of school due to early pregnancies and having such a law will bring this to an end”, he said.