A 21-year-old primary school teacher, Wilson Diya, has been detained for allegedly impregnating a 16-year-old school girl in Mundri West County in Western Equatoria State.
The paramount chief in Mundri West County, Alexander Juma Baba, said the case had been presented to him but that he was waiting for a magistrate to adjudicate.
“This girl is studying at Sun Rising Primary School, and her teacher is the one who impregnated her. The case has been brought in front of us. The girl is 16 years old, and the teacher is 21 years old,” he said. “We have left the case pending and are waiting for the judge. The suspect is now in prison.”
The deputy head teacher at the school, Glover Abui, denied the allegations against the teacher and said they had not received any letter from the girl’s family or the court about the matter. He, however, admitted that the girl is pregnant and has not attended school since the beginning of the month.
“We are not aware of what happened to Teacher Wilson Diya, but the issue has been under discussion at a family level and has not been raised here at the school,” he said. “We have not got any official letter from the girl’s family or the chief about what happened, but we just heard that Wilson has been detained for one month.”
“The girl was fully registered here, but since the beginning of July, she has not come to school,” the head teacher added.
Article 17 of the South Sudan constitution defines a child as anyone under the age of 18.
According to the Child Act, 2008, every child has the right to be protected from sexual abuse, exploitation and harassment, including but not limited to rape, incest, inducement or coercion of a child to witness or engage in sexual activity.
It further says whoever commits such an offence shall be sentenced to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fourteen years on conviction.