South Sudanese women leaders have welcomed and commended a ruling by high court in Yei River County sentencing a 28 year old teacher to seven years in jail for impregnating a primary school girl.
Ronald Lasu Alex, a teacher at Lupapa primary school two, confessed this week that he was responsible for impregnating a 14 year old girl who was in fifth grade.
High court judge Obec Deyong Anyong who presided over the court ruling based the judgment on the Penal Code 2008 which stipulates that “a consent given by a man or woman below the age of 18 years shall not be deemed to be consent.”
Besides the jail time, Ronald is liable to pay 5,000 SSP to the complainant as a customary compensation to be recovered by civil means.
“This is a commendable judgment”, said Priscila Nyanyang, former deputy national minister of gender affairs in an interview on Wednesday. “Teachers are the second parent at school. They are supposed to teach children and transform them to be educated adults and not to make them wives.”
Sarah Ajith James, head of South Sudan Women General Association, said in a separate interview she was relieved on hearing that the perpetuator has been sentenced for 7 year jail term.
“Traditions do not allow women to speak about such abuses but with coordination with the parent and women association in Yei, we made it,” said Sarah.
“Now this is a lesson not only to the teachers but to all those who attempt to abuse the underage. The constitution is there and if it is used properly, it will protect the young girls and boys,” she said.