A section of Juba Teaching Hospital. Photo: Charles Wote/Eye Radio

The Gender-based Violence Center at Juba Teaching Hospital has registered 29 cases of sexual assault including on a 2-year-old baby-girl in December alone.

Most of the incidents were reported in Gudele, Gumbo Sherikat, and other areas of the capital.

According to Samuel legge, the doctor in charge of the facility, the cases involve physical assault, defilement and rape among women and girls.

He stated that a surge in the incidents was also recorded during the festive celebrations resulting from alcohol abuse.

Legge now calls on survivors to report any incident of sexual related violence to the relevant authorities.

“We compiled 29 cases including rape, physical violence and early pregnancy. The number this year is higher than last year with different of 6 cases”, Samuel Legge told Eye Radio in an interview.

The center which was established by the UNFPA supports programs to prevent and respond to gender-based violence in South Sudan, including training social workers and health staff to sensitively and professionally meet the needs of violence survivors.

The Family Protection Centre in Juba Teaching Hospital is the first facility in South Sudan to adopt the one-stop center concept of providing comprehensive services for survivors of gender-based violence under one roof, helping to ensure survivors receive the full range of care available, including clinical treatment for rape, psychological first aid, counselling, legal support and other services.