Advocate James Mourwel. (Photo: Yang Ater).

An advocate was attacked and beaten to semiconscious condition by a group of men after he successfully defended a court case and saved a young girl from being forced into marriage in Rumbek of Lakes State on Friday.

James Mourwel was seated behind his office in the state capital at 6PM when individuals he identify as the losing party in the case involving the underage girl assaulted him.

He was left in a semiconscious situation with multiple injuries in his neck and back before being rushed to Rumbek State Hospital where he was resuscitated and treated.

In an interview with Eye Radio, Mourwel said he represented a 14-year-old girl who was being forced into marriage and won the case. He was then attacked for winning in court.

“The girl was underaged, only 14-year-old, and she was reported to our own office, and we handled the case. We went to the court and the judgement was given,” he said.

“So, these people came and attacked me later. They came and beat me to extend of inflicting injuries on my throat, neck and back of the neck and back.”

The lawyer is currently nursing injuries and plans to open a lawsuit against the perpetrators when he recovers.

“I am in the state hospital since yesterday. I am following up the medications, and when I recover, I will take up of assault to the police, this is the shortest statement I have to give because I am not instead of good health because I am not feeling well.”

Terran Madit Terran, the Medical Director of Rumbek State Hospital, confirmed receiving and treating a patient in critical condition with multiple injuries.

“I came and found the patient, and he was semiconscious. We assessed him in out patients department and I asked to know the story from a co-patient who were with him. They told me, it was a kind of physical assault where he was beaten in the residential areas or in the market,” he said.

“I just wanted to know what happened to the patients, but upon general examination, we resuscitated and stabilized his condition. He is under observation and hopefully we are going to discharge him very soon, and there’s no worries or any big complications due to that trauma.”

Lakes State has banned child and forced marriage after Governor Rin Tueny outlawed the practice in a speech during his tour of the Loreto Girls School in Rumbek town in July 2022.

The governor disclosed that the state parliament recently enacted a law prohibiting early child and forced marriage to safeguard girls’ education and ensure they don’t fall prey to perpetrators of child and forced marriage.

Daniel Laat Kon, a civil society activist and coordinator of the Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO), condemned the incident and called on the state government to arrest those responsible.

He warned the state citizens against taking law into their own hands which he said is a punishable crime. He said the lawyer was only doing his job.

“We condemn such act and we are calling on the government to apprehend and bring to book the perpetrators for investigation through procedures in the competent court of law,” he said.

” You cannot attack a defense lawyer who is defending the right of an individual. These people should have followed the law. If the court has ruled in favor of this lawyer, then they have 14 days to appeal, and cannot go and attack.”

Mr. Laat said the government has a responsibility to protect defense lawyers from any repercussion that occurred as a result of doing their legal duties.

“They are authorized by constitution and other laws in the country. Again, we condemn this in strongest term possible and we are calling the perpetrators to be brought to book.”