Gender-based violence court building in Juba - Credit | Eye Radio/Koang Pal Chang | March 2022

The Gender-Based Violence court has acquitted a man who was charged with defilement after it established his lover is an adult.

The 21-year-old Dominic Swaka Jada is now considering marrying the girl he was accused of defiling.

He was acquitted from being charged with defilement after it was established his lover is an adult.

Jada had paid a visit to his lover Wilma Keji in Gondorkoro last year where he was beaten and tortured by a lady’s family.

Keji’s family later filed a defilement case against him.

On 25^th November 2021, he was first arrested and sent to Juba central prison where he spent several months behind bars.

Keji’ family alleged he had sexual contact with their daughter.

During a court hearing, Swaka admitted the act.

However, on an assessment, his girl lover was almost twenty when they dated each other.

On this basis, the GBV court in Juba acquitted Swaka Jada.

According to the presiding Judge of the court, Francis Amum Awin, there was also no sufficient evidence of rape at the time of the incident.

“I concluded that the precaution failed to meet the standard required to prove the quilt of the accused in criminal as beyond reasonable doubt. Final orders; one criminal case is dismissed, two accused persons are acquitted,” Judge Amum declared.

“Three, precaution is advised that they have right to enjoy automatic right of appeal against both the dismissal of the case and acquitting of the accused person within 15 days,”

“Four, judgment delivered seal in open court of law and dated today 6^th June 2022 by Judge Francis Amum Awin.”

For his part, the acquitted, Swaka Jada welcomed the verdict.

Jada says he is now considering marrying the girl as she continues with her studies.

“I was arrested on 25^th November, 2021, so today June 6, I was released and the court found I am not guilty, ” Jada said.

“I was innocent, and such things happened for men, sometimes they got beaten and arrested,

“I will take her to my home because she is my wife because I planned to marry her, I will look for money to enroll in school while I will be working to pay her school fees.”

While for Wilma Keiji, she regards Swaka as her husband.

“This boy is my husband, and I love him from the bottom of my heart and I will go with him to his house to be his wife,” Keiji said.

“I love his family members as well as my family but their hearts are not good.”