Police have detained a parent for questioning after a 17-year-old primary school daughter died by suicide following an alleged forced marriage in Rumbek Central County, authorities said.
The girl, identified as Martha Anhiak Malual, was a Primary Seven pupil in Mayom Payam. Local officials said she was withdrawn from school and married off against her will to a man identified as Macuom Chol.
The incident occurred on Tuesday in Mayom Payam.
Peter Muoranyar, the payam administrator, told Radio Tamazuj that police at the local headquarters had detained a family member and opened an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the forced marriage and the girl’s death.
Muoranyar said the teenager was married after her family received a form of bride price. He said she spent three days at her husband’s home before returning to her father’s house, where she later died by suicide.
“She was a pupil in Primary Seven and had been in school before her father withdrew her and arranged the marriage,” he said.
Deng Adut, a community member, said the girl had indicated she was forced into the marriage without her consent. He added that she had been a pupil at Pan-Manga Primary School.
Daniel Laat Kon, a coordinator with the civil society group CEPO in Lakes State, said similar cases have been recorded involving young girls forced into early marriages.
“It is very unfortunate that young girls in school are dying because of forced and early marriages,” he said, calling on communities to end the practice.
He urged young people to seek support and dialogue with family members and community leaders rather than resorting to suicide, and called on partners to increase awareness campaigns to address the issue.
Article 15 of South Sudan’s constitution stipulates that any person of marriageable age has the right to form a family, while Article 17 guarantees women and girls the right to consent to marriage.
The constitution also defines a child as anyone under the age of 18 and states that the best interests of the child must be protected in all matters concerning their life.