Mary Nadia Romino in chain was sentenced to death for killing her neighbor in 2014 now in Juba Prison - credit: Michael Daniel | Eye Radio | May 2021

Mary Nadia Romino, a mother of six kids was sentenced to death for killing her neighbor in Juba 2014.

The death-row inmate is notable in the prison as she always walks around with an iron chain tight on her thigh.

She was pregnant when she entered prison, where she delivered her baby, now 7 year-old.

Mary did not know that the quarrel that occurred between her child and the neighbor’s son would end her life on death-row.

“It was evening time in Gudele when my son had a quarrel with neighbor’s son, and when I intervened, the boy ran to his mother, and at that moment, she came with her husband to question me on the matter,” she said.

“When I was trying to explain she insulted me, I didn’t say anything and I waited for my husband who works as a soldier to tell him what happened,” Mary said.

She says her husband is supposed to have a meeting in the morning with the neighbor to resolve the matter, but excused himself because he was going to work. That morning, Mary saw her neighbor holding a knife and running toward her.

Mary, who said she couldn’t wait until she was attacked by her neighbor, went out of her compound to face a knife-wielding woman.

During the fight, Mary said, she hit her neighbor’s hand to drop the knife, and she picked the knife where she stabbed her neighbor in the stomach.

She said the last word that came from her neighbor’s mouth was; “You have killed me Mary.”

Mary, who regretted killing her neighbor, told Eye Radio that she shouldn’t have killed her neighbor after she dropped the knife.

“I believes, I had a fair trial because I committed the crime. I was supposed to throw the knife away instead of using it to kill the lady,” Mary said.

“Her husband told me, now you killed my wife, we have to go to the police. I spent one month and a half in the police station before I was transferred to Juba Central Prison.”

“I had no lawyer when my court session started, and I used to go with my father. At the court, the Judge asked the deceased husband what he wanted, he replied, he wants me to die like his wife.”

“We were given fifteen-day by the court to appeal for the final decision. Unfortunately, I have no one to follow my case.”

Mary said her husband vanished after she was sentenced to death.

“My husband disappeared, changed his residence and his phone number after I was sentenced to death by the court.”

A local NGO, called Women & Equity Association came for her assistance where it provided legal aid to her to review her case.

After the court accepted the appeal, the family of the deceased agreed to take the blood compensation.

Mary was relieved after an NGO came forward to appeal against her death sentence in 2018.

“I gained my life again when they accepted blood compensation which was an offer by one of the NGOs who used to help female prisoners.

“I am still waiting to see the sun again,” Mary said.

Mary said she learnt a lot of things as she gained the courage to stand in front of people since 2014 when she was sentenced.

She is currently teaching the prisoner’s kids how to cook. Playing drums is also one of the skills Mary learnt in the prison.

“I remembered when I was in the prison first days with my kid, it’s easy to go to the prison but to come out of it is hard,” she said.

“It takes courage to live in the community again, I am appealing to my sister outside there, if you have any misunderstanding with each other, it’s better to forgive one another than to find yourself where I am.”

“Although we are living as a family here [prison], still there is nothing like freedom.”

Mary, who is counting her days to be reunited with her mother and kids, says the family of the deceased neighbor are yet to receive the compensation.

Mary’s kids were taken by the same NGOs to orphanage houses so that they could access to basic services including education.

The shelter accommodates prisoner’s kids who have passed the age of being with their mother in the prison.

Natlina Andria, is the coordinator of a local NGO, Women and Equity Association that provided legal aids to women in prison.

She says they will sponsor Mary’s kids in school.

“This came after we discovered that Mary was convicted and brought to prison when she was pregnant so she delivered this baby in the prison,” she said.

“This 3 year-old boy imitated the way his mother and other lady walk with iron chains on their legs.”

“These kids adopt their mother’s lifestyle and environment, which is not appropriate, so we took the kids.”

“This year, her [Mary] 4 kids will be taken to boarding school because they were left with grandmother who is not able to take care of them.”

Mary can only be released from death-row once the blood compensation is paid.

She is hoping for a well-wisher who can put a smile on her face again and reunite with her kids.