Juba Prison Mobile Court resumes hearing in Gumbo sexual assault case

JUBA, South Sudan (Eye Radio) – The Mobile Court operating within Juba Central Prison resumed proceedings on Monday morning to determine whether it will frame the charges or not against 13 young men accused of sexually assaulting a minor in the Gumbo Sharikat area earlier this year.

The high-profile trial involves the 13 suspects accused of the gang-rape of a 16-year-old girl, an incident that occurred in May and sparked widespread public outrage and condemnation from civil society and human rights groups across South Sudan.

The 13 suspects face four serious charges: joint criminal acts, criminal intimidation by anonymous communication, unlawful detention for sexual assault, and robbery.

The defense lawyer, Advocate Godfrey Victor Bullen, confirmed that the court had already heard all necessary information, including the victim’s statement, the investigation report, the prosecution’s evidence, and the defense’s argument.

“The court heard the complaint, the investigation, the victim, the prosecution case, and then the defense case. The court examined all the accused persons who are standing trial,” Bullen stated.

“Today, the court is going to frame a charge, whether there is a case against them or there is no case against them.”

The framing of a charge signifies a critical stage in the trial, where the presiding judge formally decides if the evidence presented warrants proceeding to a full criminal trial against the accused persons.

The judge presiding over the case, sitting in the mobile court, had previously heard the investigator’s testimony and allowed for cross-examination by the defense counsel during the opening sessions earlier this month.

The court is expected to rule soon on whether the 13 accused will face a formal trial on the specific charges.