Tonj East police arrest pharmacist for blinding daughter

The police in Tonj East County in Warrap State on Tuesday confirmed that they are holding a pharmacist who allegedly forcefully removed his daughter’s eyes on 2 April.

The police in Tonj East County in Warrap State on Tuesday confirmed that they are holding a pharmacist who allegedly forcefully removed the eyes of his daughter on 2 April.

Colonel Mathony Nhial, the Tonj East County police inspector, told Radio Tamazuj Tuesday that the suspect, Agany Kut Achuil, who runs a private pharmacy in Tonj South town has been remanded to prison pending arraignment in court.

“The information came to me from Juba that a man removed his daughter’s eyes. This man is called Agany Kut Achuil and he is an educated person, a pharmacist working in his private pharmacy in Tonj South town and his daughter’s name is Mary Akuot Agany,” he said. “I used my intelligence to find both the victim and perpetrator. We found the girl with her hands tied and her father was also there in the forest.”

“I went with my policemen using motorbikes because I do not have a car and we apprehended the perpetrator and brought him to Tonj prison,” Col. Nhial added.

He said the police have completed investigations into the matter and the suspect will be produced in court when the girl recovers from her injuries.

“We have rushed the victim to Tonj South Hospital where she was referred to Wau by a local NGO for further treatment,” he said. “The little girl is still in pain and her maternal uncles opened a case against her father in Tonj South town but we are waiting for her to recover then the case will be presented to the court for trial.”

Meanwhile, Major General, Manyok Jurkuc, the Warrap State police commissioner, confirmed the arrest of the suspect and attributed the crime to “traditional expectations”.

“It happened in a rural area of Romic village in Tonj East County and we received the information from Juba and our inspector there managed to arrest the accused who is now in Tonj South main prison,” he said.

He further said that the victim was rushed to a health center by The Organization for Children Harmony (TOCH).

“It is a week plus now and we have done our part by arresting the suspect and when the girl recovers, the case will be taken to court,” Gen. Jurkuc said. “Dinka and Nur marry off their daughters with cows but if you ask her mother in the hospital she would tell you more reasons why her daughter was hurt. Otherwise, investigations have been completed and more information will be presented in court because the girl’s maternal uncles opened the case.”