The 30-year-old man (standing and in white shirt) was tried on rape charges in Nimule town. (Photo: Gama).

The Mobile Court in Nimule town of Eastern Equatoria State on Friday started the trial of a young man accused of rapping a 78-year-old disabled woman in September 2022.

The incident occurred in Obarl village between Magwi County and Nimule.

According to the police statement, the 30-year-old man whose identity has been concealed, attacked the woman while on her way to collect wood.

The survivor narrated to the police that she was sexually abused, and couldn’t call for help because the offender had strangled her by the neck.

The elderly woman said in the police statement that she later found the offender at a local bar where she hit him with the stick and he try to escape before being caught by people in the bar.

On his part, Gama Hassan Ocsas, a legal aid officer at Steward Women, who provide legal assistants to the survivor said the offender is being tried under section 247 of the South Sudan Penal Act 2008.

“Today, we have a case of rape which involved a 30-year-old man who raped a 78-year-old disabled woman in the place called Obarl between Magwi and Nimule,” Hassan told Eye Radio.

“So, the case was brought today before the Mobile Court and the prosecution case was heard. The accused was charged under section 247 of the penal act 2008 and the judge adjourned the case up to Monday to hear prosecution witnesses.”

The presiding judge Obaj Denyong Anyong adjourned the session to March 20th, 2023 to hear the prosecution witnesses.