Three suspects, including the Western Bahr el Ghazal state prisons deputy director, have been arrested for allegedly raping a 31-year-old woman on 20 May, police said.

Sergeant Major Luka Gabriel, a senior police investigator handling the case, told Radio Tamazuj on Wednesday that the three suspects are now in police custody awaiting investigations.

He revealed that the state prisons deputy director, Major General Lino Ngong Kuot, who is also facing rape charges, is being held at Wau Prison under protection.

The police investigator pointed out that the three suspects will soon appear before the investigator for interrogation. He noted that the state prison deputy director is the prime suspect.

 “The case was reported to police on 26 May at around 4 pm and the suspects were initially four. One is Major General Lino Ngong Kuot, who is the deputy director for prisons service in Western Bahr el Ghazal and also a director of finance and administration at the national prisons headquarters,” said Gabriel.

The police investigator said a medical form was given to the victim for medical examination and that the medical investigation confirmed that woman was raped and tortured.

 “This Major General gave orders to youths to carry the victim and take her to his house. So they tied her up, burned her with fire and then raped her. This general claims that the woman stole his cell phone, but the statement given by the victim says the phone was given to her by the general to sell it and the money was given to the general,” Luka explained.

According to the police investigator, the case will be forwarded to court once they complete investigating the suspects.

 “This is a serious case; it will not be handled by the court. The general is still under protection at the national prisons service headquarters,” he said.

For her part, the victim, whose name remains withheld to protect her identity and for safety concerns and to not impede the investigations into the rape case, told Radio Tamazuj that she had been raped by the general and other individuals.

“This man got me at my house sleeping and he asked me to walk with him to the alcohol place to drink. I went with him and he paid 200 SSP for alcohol. When we finished the alcohol, he took the phone and gave it to me, saying let me go and sell it, and I asked him if something happens tomorrow who will be answerable, he just told me I am a general, nothing can defeat me,” she explained.

“I went and sell the phone at 6,000 SSP, he picked 400 SSP and bought alcohol and placed the balance into his pocket and he left with it and in the following day he came to me and said, his phone was stolen but I told him that you were the one who gave it to me to sell it but he insisted that I stole his phone until he took me to the security,” she said.

“When I was being beaten, he asked them to stop saying he has forgiven to God because we drank alcohol yesterday. I cannot talk again, but when I was released, the security asked me to pay 1,500 SSP for the gate, but it was paid by my sister-in-law but when he met me later, he accused me that I had agreed with the security to be released, but I told him it was your orders to release me,” she added.

“After explaining to him, he beat me with the stick and called people to arrest me till I was tied behind with a plastic sheet on my back. In that place, I was burned and raped, and the general was the first before I left the house while I was tied, he said I am going and I will come back to rape you instead of my phone; my hands were tied and the rest of the three raped me and they left,” she concluded.

The woman said she was rescued by the neighbours who untied her hands before she run away.

Meanwhile, the cousin of the victim, identified as Abraham Sejin, said the court a case has been opened against the four suspects.

“We got her with the help of police after three days when she was raped and the police managed to arrest the suspects and the court case has been opened even the latter has been sent to bring the Major General for investigation,” said Sejin.          

The case is being handled by the police at the police station on the eastern bank, south of Wau town.

According to Section 247 of the South Sudan Penal Code, whosoever has sexual intercourse or carnal intercourse with another person, against his or her will or without his or her consent, commits the offence of rape, and upon conviction, shall be sentenced to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 14 years and may also be liable to a fine.