A man suspected of raping an 11-year-old girl in Aweil East County on Monday has been arrested, area police have said.

The child was taken to Malualbaai primary healthcare center and has now been discharged.

Payam administrator Peter Wol Duong announced the arrest of the 35-year-old man and called on prosecutors to judge such cases seriously, in accordance with the South Sudan Child Act.

“It is unacceptable to have sex with a child. I want to tell people to refrain from this. If it happens, the law will deal with it to deter others from doing the same,” said Mr Duong.

Nurse Moses Kuot says the victim has received treatment. He added that sex is harmful to children.

“We, as health practitioners, have a major problem with this,” she said.

“The laws do not allow people to have sex with children because they are still children, they are not old enough to have sex.”

The age of consent in South Sudan is 18.