A South Sudan People’s Defense Force (SSPDF) soldier in Lakes State has been apprehended after he shot and wounded his pregnant wife, leaving her with three bullet wounds.
The incident, which occurred in Timic village on Sunday, is believed to be rooted in a dispute over dowry payments. The wife’s parents had taken legal action by opening a case at the Rumbek Town Court demanding that the soldier fulfill his dowry obligations or face divorce. This dispute had festered over the years due to the couple’s failure to adhere to cultural and traditional practices regarding dowry payments.
The police spokesperson in Lakes State, Maj. Elijah Mabor Makuac said the soldier decided to kill his wife after being dragged to court by her family for failing to pay the bride price.
“He shot his wife identified as Awut with 3 bullets. One bullet landed on her left eye and it destroyed her eyesight and the other two bullets hit her in the abdomen,” he said. “Recently, his in-laws decided to open a case against him in Rumbek Town Court to compel him to either pay the dowry or divorce their daughter. The court had adjourned the hearing to Monday, but instead, he chose to resort to violence, shooting his wife with the intent to kill her.”
“He subsequently fled the scene of the crime but fortunately the commissioner of Rumbek Central County and security forces managed to apprehend the SSPDF soldier on Monday and he is now in custody and an investigation is ongoing,” Maj. Mabor added.
The victim is currently receiving medical care at Rumbek State Hospital and Dr. Terran Madit Terran, the medical director, said her condition is stable.
“So far the woman is a little bit stable because she has multiple gunshot wounds. We do not know the reason for the shooting but she was brought to the hospital in a very critical condition and we operated on her the same day,” he said. “She had injuries to her mouth and abdomen. We did our best, and the rest we left to God. We managed and did our best. She is now under observation and receiving treatment. Currently, we cannot consider transferring her until her condition stabilizes.”
The victim, who is a mother of three, is in the early weeks of pregnancy.