The Community Empowerment for Progress Organization (CEPO) has on Wednesday urge the Lakes state government to speed up the investigation of teenage girl beaten to death by her brother other relatives over claim of pregnancy in Yirol East County of Lakes State.
Early March 2023, police in Lakes State have confirmed that at least four people have been arrested in connection with the death of 17 year old girl in Adior of Yirol East County. CEPO calls on higher authorities to speed up investigate the matter and immediately hold the responsible individuals to account.
The marriage and carnage are not only illicit but also atrocious, the practice of forced marriage denies women the opportunity to positively contribute to society. Bring perpetrators to account will be a lesson that will put to an end harmful cultural practices that deny girls their rights.
CEPO calls upon judiciary system to speed up the process and ensure that people practicing gender-based violence in the state are all brought to book. We request the National Government especially Ministry of Justice together with partners to extent GBV Courts and deployment of competence Judges to handle Gender-based violent cases to the States.
The Transitional Constitution under Article 15 states that, ‘any person of marriageable age has the right to form family’, and Article 17 guarantees women and girls right to consent to marriage; while current state Customary law and Public Order Act 2022 passed by Lakes State Law-makers under section 39 (2) said that, ‘Anyone who forces underage girl to marry a partner against her will commit an offence and shall be sentenced to; If the girl is killed in the process of forcing her to accept relationship, the killer shall face death penalty as provided for in this act Daniel Laat Kon CEPO – State Coordinator
Lakes State – Rumbek
