Police in Maper Akot Aru in the western part of Aweil town have detained a 45-year-old man identified as Deng Akeen Akeen who was accused of sexually harassing a minor on Friday last week.
According to reports, the accused harassed Athieng Agou Ngong, 16, twice before he was arrested. The man is believed to have visited the girl’s home twice while her family members were away.
A police officer in Maper Akot who spoke on condition of anonymity for administrative reasons told Radio Tamazuj that they arrested the man and charged him under Southern Sudan’s penal code section of 375 which deals with drunkenness in a public place being a public nuisance.
“He found the girl washing dishes and he hugged and kissed her while he was drunk so we opened a case under Southern Sudan penal sections of 375/177 which talks about drunkenness in a public place and public nuisance. We issued form (8) for the girl and of course, there is no evidence of rape such as torn skirt or clothes because the police deal with such proof,’’ the policeman said.
Marko Manut Majok, a relative of the girl who was harassed, said Akeen attacked her while she was alone at home and appreciated the neighbors for coming to her rescue.
“Yes, there is one guy called Deng Akeen Akeen who went to the home in the afternoon when the people were in the market. My wife and I were also at the market and my sister was left at home alone, so Deng came and tried to rape the child but the neighbors came and recused her. She is sixteen years old,’’ Majok said.
Viviana Abuk, a witness to the incident disclosed that the suspect came a day before, hugged and kissed the girl, and tried to drag her into the house before she and other neighbors came to her rescue.
“What happened was that this man, Deng Akeen Akeen, came and found the little girl seated and he hugged her and kissed her severally and pulled her into the house but she resisted him until we and other neighbors came and rescued her. That was what happened and someone has the right to say what she or he sees,” Abuk said.