A 65-year-old man has been convicted to 10 years in prison for raping a 10-year-old girl last week in Gangura Payam of Yambio County, Western Equatoria State.

According to a statement extended to Radio Tamazuj from the Mobile High Court, the convict identified as Mr. John Biyee, was found guilty of rape and sentenced to ten years imprisonment with effect from 9th September 2020.

Yambio Police Commissioner James Mande Enoka appreciated the court's verdict saying there is a need for a permanent judge in the region.

“The mobile court has been coming here and this is the third time. They were here in January. We are saying this time the final solution would be sending a permanent judge to be in the State. We do not want to dictate to Juba or the judiciary as an independent body, but they have the role to administer justice,” he appealed.

Mande vowed that the police will continue to apprehend any perpetrators of crime in the state.

“As law enforcement, we will continue to do our legal mandate to combat crime and to arrest all those who commit crimes against the population and bring them to justice,” assured Mande.

For his part, a civil society activist and the state coordinator of Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) Justin Anthony Ngbapa also welcomed the verdict but called for its full implementation and fair judgment for all cases in the courts.

“We welcome the court decision but we need to see the full implementation of this. This has also to be done to the rest of the people who abuse the law,” he stated.

Anthony further appealed to the national government to ensure that the state governments have full structures of governance including a high court.

“As I’m speaking now, we don’t have a high court and those things are pending and it increases crime. We are appeal to the national government to look into this. This is the primary responsibility of delivering services to the people. We need to see the presence of a high court here,” Anthony pointed out.