GBV Court Session|Photo|Eye Radio

The Gender-Based Violence Court in Juba on Friday ordered a 28-year-old man to pay more than SSP 2 million as a remedy for deceitfully cohabiting, and impregnating a 16-year-old girl more than a year ago.

Benjamin Adok Ayom was arrested in October, 2022 after he was accused by the victim’s guardian to police of defiling and impregnating the unnamed teenage girl.

According to judge Andrew Jushow Lado, a medical examination result at the Juba Teaching Hospital indicated that the minor was 24 weeks pregnant at the time.

During the court trial, the accused defense lawyer pleaded his client was not guilty.

He argued that kidnapping a girl, according to the prevailing custom of perpetrator’s community, is not a crime since it is done with the intention of marriage.

The GBV court found Benjamin Adok Ayom guilty of cohabitation by deceit, an offense  punishable by a jail term not exceeding two years, or with a fine.

The GBV court ordered Convict Adok to pay 2 million South Sudanese Pounds  to the survivor as remedies, citing any failure to do so, he will be imprisoned for one year.

It also fined Adok some half a million pounds.

“The convict is convicted to pay  SSP 500,000 as a fine on the case of default prisoner for one year according to section 264 of the penal code 2008.

“The convict must pay the victim the amount of SSD 2 million as remedies and to pay through civil means. The parties have the right to appeal this judgment within 15 days from today  issued under my hand and the sealed of the GBV, and Juvenile court on the 5th of April 2025, ” Judge Andrew Jushow Lado read out the verdict.

According to section 264, every person who by deceit causes any other person who is not lawfully married to him or her to believe that he or she is lawfully married to him or her and to cohabit or have sexual intercourse with him or her in that belief, commits an offense, and upon conviction, shall be sentenced to imprisonment for a term not exceeding two years or with a fine or with both.