A 14-year-old girl, only identified as a Gum, was mercilessly beaten by her brother for delaying her return home from a water point in Rumbek North County and is now receiving treatment for severe wounds at the Rumbek State Hospital in the Lakes State capital.
The incident occurred about a month ago at the Akot cattle camp after the drunk man pounced on his sister, leaving her nursing wounds on her buttocks and legs.
“I went to the water point to fetch water, and when I returned late, my drunk brother started to beat me,” she told Radio Tamazuj from her hospital bed on Monday. “I tried to explain to him why I delayed, but he refused to listen.”
Gum said that when her wounds became worse and septic, her family decided to transport her to Rumbek State Hospital, where she has been for the last three weeks.
“I cannot sit and have to keep lying flat on my tummy or on my side because my buttocks and thighs sustained severe wounds,” Gum lamented.
David Dak, the medical officer in charge of the surgical ward at Rumbek State Hospital, confirmed that the girl was admitted three weeks ago after sustaining deep wounds on both buttocks, particularly the lower buttocks and thighs.”
“She is still undergoing treatment and being attended to by Doctors with Africa CUAMM here at the hospital,” he said. “Dr. Alfred, the CUAMM coordinator at the hospital, is the one who is feeding and looking after her every day. As I talk to you now, she is in the ward and is safe.”
He said the girl was weak and malnourished when she was admitted and that she will get a skin graft after 3 or 4 months and will recover after eight months.
For his part, Peter Gum Ater, the director general at the state ministry of gender and social welfare, said he received the report about the violence meted out to the girl.
“There can be misunderstandings, but there are peaceful means that you should use to discipline your sister or daughter without involving the use of violence” he said. “Violence is totally against the law, and it is a violation of the rights of the child. I condemn this act in the strongest terms possible.”
According to the official, many gender-based violence cases against girls and women result from early and forced marriages.
“Young girls are often forced into marriage, and when they refuse, they are beaten. Some of them die as a result of beatings; some of them are injured,” he said. “It is very unfortunate, and we urge our communities to desist from such negative practices.”
Meanwhile, Daniel Laat Kon, a civil society activist in Lakes State, confirmed the horrific incident and described it as “very unfortunate.”
“The girl was thoroughly tortured and beaten by her brother and is currently nursing wounds around her buttocks. She is unable to sit alone,” he said. “Unfortunately, such cases are now becoming very common in our community.”
“We need to be mindful of how we treat our sisters, wives and women in Lakes State,” Kon added,
He said beating someone to that stage is condemnable because there are other ways to engage and discipline someone who has erred.
and then