Juba, South Sudan (Eye Radio) – The South Sudan National Police Service strongly denies reports circulating on social media claiming five young men, accused of sexually assaulting a minor girl in Gumba last week, were killed in police custody.

Police Spokesman Maj. Gen. James Monday Enoka, who spoke to Eye Radio Friday evening, July 4, described the social media reports as “false and misleading.” He expressed deep surprise at the rumors, stating, “This information is incorrect.”

These rumors emerged after a viral video allegedly showing the assault sparked intense public outrage. Several media outlets then reported that authorities had extrajudicially killed the suspects after their arrest.

However, Major General Enoka emphasized that no such killings occurred. He reiterated that the South Sudanese Penal Code of 2008 clearly outlines legal punishment for such crimes.

He explained that police cannot carry out punishment without a court order.

General Enoka specified that Article 247 of the Penal Code stipulates that an accused person, if found guilty, faces imprisonment for a period not exceeding 14 years, not death.

He added that police protect suspects until the judicial process concludes, regardless of the allegations’ nature.

This clarification comes as police continue a week-long anti-gang operation across Juba, which has seen the arrest of over 600 young men in connection with various crimes.

Authorities urge the public to refrain from spreading unverified information and to allow due process to take its course.

General Enoka directly stated, “I denounce the misleading information that circulated on social media about the killing of five accused in the sexual assault on a girl in Gumba Sherikat a week ago. This information is incorrect.”

“The police cannot carry out the punishment without a court order. According to the text of the country’s penal code for the year 2008, Article 247 stipulates that the accused person shall be sentenced to imprisonment for a period not exceeding 14 years, and not to murder. The role of the police is to protect the accused until the end of the trial, and I deny this talk.”