The office manager of Eastern Equatoria State Local Government Minister Peter Lokeng Lotone has reportedly surrendered to the police after beating his son to death in Torit’s Longute suburb on Sunday evening.
Ochan Peter Okello, 51, killed his son, Tuna Ochan Okello, 22, after getting frustrated by the latter’s habitual stealing.
Maj. Justine Kleopus Takuru, the spokesperson of the police in the state, confirmed the incident, stating that the man surrendered to the community police and the joint operation team in the area.
“The community police in the area and the operations police brought a Lotuko man, Ochan Peter Okello, 51, who is the office manager of the minister of local government, for killing his child. We questioned the suspect and he admitted that he killed his son, Tuna Ochan Okello, 22, because he is a thief,” he explained. “He said that a month ago, the boy stole a smartphone, and he went and sold it in Magwi, and that he (father) had to pay the owner of the phone. Last week, the boy travelled to the village and took money from an old woman, and ran back to Torit.”
Maj. Kleopus cautioned the public against taking the law into their own hands and advised people to report problems to the authorities.
“People should not take the law into their hands even if there is a problem; you should report it immediately. We have about 30 children who have been reported here by their parents, and we opened cases and put them in prison,” he said. “There are some who left schools and started loitering along the river. However, after finishing three months in prison, they leave totally changed and reformed because there are regulations and prayers.”
For his part, Oriaja James, the Chairperson of the Eastern Equatoria State Youth Union, condemned the incident and said such cases are rampant in Torit. He cited an incident in which a father shot his son with an arrow.
“It is very unfortunate, and I do not think he intended to kill his son,” he said. “We always say people should not take the law into their hands.”
Meanwhile, Clementina Itwari, a member of the state civil society network, expressed sadness about the killing and advised parents to communicate with their children or seek legal procedures to solve the problem instead of resorting to violence.
“You cannot stab your child like he or she is an enemy,” she stated. “Parents need to keep talking to their children until they change.”