The police in Magwi County of South Sudan’s Eastern Equatoria State have arrested a man accused of killing a two-year-old boy on Tuesday.
Magwi County's Police Inspector 1st Lt. Bongomin Godfrey Dorteo told Radio Tamazuj that from information gathered so far, the accused whose aged about 20 years old Bobbly Ochan, was left in the house with the child before he was found dead.
He said the accused is the child's relative as they lived together in the same house.
“The investigation is done and we are waiting to forward the case to Torit. The suspect is already in custody,” he said.
According to the police, the accused had been arrested and released three weeks ago.
Lt. Godfrey noted that there were bruises and bloodstains on the child's neck indicating that he could have been strangled.
“There are some eyewitnesses who witnessed and he is the only person who was left with this kid at home. The young man's behavior is known. He is not a suspect but is considered to be the one who has done this because someone saw him. The eyewitnesses were summoned and their statements have been taken," he added. /
Ocheng David Tokwaro, the relative of the late child said the child's mother had gone to the market and when she came back she found her child unconscious.
"When the mother returned from the market, she was told the child disappeared but later on was found in the room. She entered the room and found the child very unconscious. So when taken to the hospital, the postmortem result was that the child’s neck was twisted by an unknown person, very unfortunate. The child was buried this morning (Wednesday),” David explained.
David, who is also the Executive Director of the county said the suspect is a drug addict.
Omal Augustine, Child Protection Officer of Caritas Torit calls for child protection awareness in all communities to ensure an end to child-related murder cases.
He also called for the provision of psychosocial support to the family and while the perpetrator faces justice.
“It is important always to have child protection awareness in our communities even from house to house. The suspect should undergo the legal process so that he is judged according to the laws. Meanwhile, to the family of the deceased child, they still need to be given psychosocial support and they should not also take the law into their hands to respond to the matter which will also contradict how the law will look into the case,” said Omal.
Authorities say, three people were arrested for allegedly hanging a three-year-old boy in Obbo Payam of Magwi County in February this year.