The president of the High Court in Aweil Town, Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, Abraham Majur Lat, on Monday sentenced Saber Abdalla Abusam to death for defiling and murdering a minor.

On 3 May, a Sudanese trader, Saber Abdalla Abusam, defiled and murdered five-year-old Abuk Lual Lual in the Ayuang residential area. He was arrested with Omer Mohamud Omer and Ahmad Hassan Adam who the authorities accused of concealing the crime.

Omer Mohamud Omer was given a five-year jail term while Ahmad Hassan Adam was acquitted last week.

Justice Majur read out the court verdict which sentenced the main accused to hang till death.

“The first accused, Saber Abdalla Abusam, the court has sentenced him to hang to death. The second accused, Omer Mohamud Omer is jailed for 5 years for his offending of article (140) paragraph (A) of the South Sudan Penal Code 2008.” He read. “And according to article (258) of the South Sudan Criminal Procedure Act 2008, the accused have right to appeal after fifteen days from today, this was made before this court, Abraham Majur  Lat, President of the High Court, Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, Aweil.”

Garang Akok, a lawyer representing the family of the deceased welcomed the ruling.

“I am very delighted because I was expecting this tough punishment against the first accused because he committed a major crime against the child,” he said.

Isaac Deng Athian, a lawyer who was assigned by the justice ministry to provide legal aid for the accused traders said he would not challenge or appeal the verdict. 

“As lawyers, we do not criticize verdicts.  And in case there is any complaint about the verdict, then there are mechanisms to take. Those mechanisms are not ready for now and I cannot tell for now because I may not appeal for any of the convicted. They may go for other lawyers because I was assigned by the ministry of justice to provide legal aid for them,” said Deng.    

When asked whether the ministry will reassign him to provide legal aid, the lawyer, said his task ended with the announcement of the verdict and the ministry has not directed him to give legal support for the convicted.