The police in the Jonglei State capital, Bor, on Sunday released, without charges, two men who allegedly beat their teenage sister to death for rejecting an arranged marriage.
The deceased, Ajok Kelei, 18, who hailed from Baidit Payam, had twice been engaged to a man from Chuei-Keer, a move the family had rejected, preferring a suitor from Makuach Payam instead.
It was during her third attempt to settle with her preferred suitor that Ajok met her fate on 5 November.
Forced marriage is commonplace among pastoralist communities in South Sudan, particularly the Dinka people. Unfortunately, many girls have been killed in the process of being coerced by beating into allowing them to marry a man chosen by their families-especially when the latter offer a lot of bride wealth.
Ajok’s case has since drawn heated discussions among netizens, with calls to respect the girl child’s rights within a patriarchal South Sudan.
What adds to the already precarious situation, though, is the news that those responsible for Ajok’s murder have been freed.
Daniel Deng Panchol, caretaker commissioner of Bor County, told Radio Tamazuj that the release of the suspects was as painful as the murder, revealing that an investigation would still be instituted in the case.
“The incident happened on 5 November while I was outside Bor. What happened was that the girl had preferred a husband from Chueikeeer, but the family did not want her to proceed,” he explained. “The girl escaped twice, and the family would bring her back. It was during her third escape that she was forcibly brought back and fatally beaten up.”
The commissioner said the girl’s brother and their cousin were arrested for involvement in the beating and that they have since been released without his consent.
“The family of the deceased met and went to prison demanding that their sons be released, saying there was no case since they were all relatives,” Deng said. “I learnt of this a day later, and it was shocking. The reason given was that the boy had to be released to write her secondary education exams.”
“Any murder case involves the state; as a local government, we will have to table this case, investigate, and take measures to avoid similar occurrences,” Commissioner Deng added.
Under the South Sudan Penal Code, murder is a criminal case that carries the death penalty or life imprisonment.
Meanwhile, Bol Deng Bol, executive director of INTREPID South Sudan and chairperson of Jonglei Civil Society Network and National Civil Society Coalition, said they were appalled by the girl’s murder.
“First, my condolences to the family as they mourn the death. This is not a new thing in Jonglei State because the culture condones it. There were two similar cases last year in Jonglei State. This is unjustifiable,” he said. “We condemn this incident and urge parents across the country to avoid such mistakes. The release of the suspects is evidence that we have a weak justice system.”
“The police were supposed to forward this case to court even though no official complaint has been filed with them because this is a matter of public interest,” Bol Deng added.
Kenya Mach, an activist with the Jonglei State Women Association, also condemned the Ajok’s murder and said people should shed negative cultures that “treat girls as property to be auctioned.”
“We [girls] are not wealth; we are human beings. We have the right to education and choice of our marriage partners,” she stated. “This incident exposes how base our culture is and how weak our legal system is. This incident should be grounds for the government to act now to check such things from happening again.”
Mach urged parents to be responsible for their children and advised girls to seek legal protection when they feel their rights are being infringed upon.
“There is a facility in Block 3 suburb made up of civil society, police, and NGOs that serves to protect our girls. It was unfortunate that we only learned of this girl’s case after her death,” she said. “Any girl who feels that their rights are being violated should report to the relevant agencies.”
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