Gender Based Violence special court, officially inaugurated in Nov. 2020 during #16DaysofActivism - courtesy

The Gender-Based Violence and Juvenile Court in Juba on Wednesday sentenced a 19-year-old man to 5 years imprisonment for defiling and impregnating a female minor.

Chan Mabior Ring was found guilty of impregnating a 16-year-old girl, who is considered an underage and by the South Sudan penal code.

According to Judge Andrew Joshua Lado, the convict sexually abused the teenager in his uncle’s house in Juba’s Korwoliang suburb, leading to his arrest in March 2022.

A defense lawyer had argued the survivor exceeded 18 years – the required age of consent, when his client committed the offence.

However, an age assessment and medical report from Juba Teaching Hospital indicated the girl conceived while still underage.

Judge Joshua Lado then condemned the sex offender to five years in jail as he read out the verdict on Thursday.

“The convict, Chan Mabior Ring, you are here sentenced to five imprisonments starting from today the 14 February 2024,” Ladu said reading the verdict.

The convict, who has 15 days to appeal the judgement, has also been fined one million pounds as compensation, in accordance with section 247 of the Penal Court Act 2008.

Judge Ladu said the compensation has to be paid through civil proceedings.

According to section 247 of the penal act 2008, a consent given by a man or woman below the age of eighteen years shall not be deemed to be consent and the offender shall be sentenced to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fourteen years and may also be liable to a fine.