A town court judge in Yirol East County, Lakes State, on Thursday found a woman guilty and sentenced her to three months in prison for attempting to convert a 14-year-old boy to the Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA).
The presiding judge, Ngor Makhor, also ruled that Rebecca Nyandit pay a fine of 30,000 SSP to court and 38,000 SSP as compensation to the parents of the boy.
“This issue was about to cause violence between the parents of the boy and Seventh-day Adventist Church. The parents of the 14-year-boy do not want the Seventh-day Adventist Church and they don’t want the little boy to pray in that church,” Judge Makhor said. “Secondly, Rebecca Nyandit was recorded by the parents of the boy in an audio voice while talking with a boy and she was planning to take the boy away from his parents to Bor. The issue was about to bring violence and that is why the town court issued a verdict to sentence Rebecca Nyandit to 3 months in prison with a fine.”
For her part, Rebecca Nyandit said that she was sentenced by the town court on Thursday but was released on bail by CUAAM international (humanitarian health NGO).
“I am a health worker in Yirol East County Primary Health Care Center and I am from the Seventh-day Adventist Church. We pray in the church every Saturday, which is the true day for Jesus Christ,” Nyandit said. “The parents accused me that I wanted to convert their son to Seventh-day Adventist Church which they don’t want. Secondly, they accused me again of trying to steal their son and that I am planning to take him Bor and they recorded my voice on a phone when the boy tried to call me and informed me about what their parents were doing when they were opening the case against me to the police.”
She added that been released on bail by CUAAM international and all fines will be paid and deducted from her monthly salary of USD 70.
The coordinator of the Community Empowerment Progress Organization (CEPO) in Lakes State, Daniel Laat Kon, condemned the verdict against the woman termed it a violation of the South Sudan constitution under article 23 which gives everyone freedom of worship in South Sudan.