Safe Passage to Juba Turns Dark
In 2021, a 10-year-old girl left Twic County for Juba with cousin Julia Nyayur Kuanyin, expecting school and safety, in line with the Dinka custom of young relatives accompanying married women, local media reported.
The pair settled in Miya Saba, occupying a house owned by 45-year-old relative Cyer Angok Cyerdit, who offered to pay the child’s school fees, an arrangement accepted by her father, according to Julia.
Allegations of Repeated Assault
Julia alleges that months later, while she was away, Cyer summoned the 11-year-old, sent her on an errand, then raped her, warning the child to stay silent.
She claims the assaults continued for three years, with Cyer returning during work hours to attack the girl, whose complaints were initially dismissed as malaria and other illnesses.
Case File Shifts Inside Police Station
Julia opened case 4718 at Munuki police on 20 October, invoking Article 247 of the 2008 Penal Code, which treats any intercourse with minors as rape.
Lawyer Yasmin Ahmed Khamis Yurur now says the file was reclassified as Article 264, a statute concerning partners who live “as if” married, a move she considers evidence of bribery inside the legal chain.
The switch secured Cyer’s bail, Yurur argues, despite untouched evidence, prompting accusations that due process is being moulded by money and connections rather than law.
Marriage Offer Intensifies Pressure
After release, Cyer allegedly offered the girl’s father 100 cows to legitimise a marriage, while birth documents were reportedly altered to list 2008 as her birth year, making her appear seventeen.
The minor refused, leading to beatings from a brother and her removal from Julia’s care, according to testimonies. “He did bad things to me, so I don’t want him,” Julia quoted the girl as saying.
Rights Advocates Push for Justice
Yurur’s organisation has filed a complaint against the father, citing constitutional articles affirming a child’s right to consent and protection. She warns that rape remains under-reported nationwide while legal loopholes persist.
Julia vows to keep pressing the courts: “I want the law to take its course and ensure Cyer faces the crime he committed,” she told reporters. The accused could not be reached for comment.