A group of women activists protest the rising rape cases in Juba on May 15, 2020 | Credit | Courtesy

The body of the woman who went missing over the weekend has been found in Jonderu area of Juba, one of the family members has said.

The woman only identified as Mary disappeared from her house at Jenderu on Sunday evening and her whereabouts remained unknown until her body was found dumped in the area.

One of the family members who requested anonymity told Eye Radio that the 58-year-old woman was raped and killed in Jenderu over the weekend.

“What happened is that the wife of my uncle disappeared on Sunday, so the children at home started looking for her and her where about was not known and she has no phone,” the family member said.

“Sunday evening and then Monday, then on Tuesday there was a rumor that circulated in the area of Jonderu near the SSBL factory, the report was that there was a child or a lady who was killed. People went to check and they couldn’t identify because the body was decomposing.”

“On Wednesday the family got serious because their member was missing, they went critically to identify with the pieces of clothes and the rest of the things they identified that it was Mary that was killed. And where she was found it was clear that she was raped, killed, and carried to that location.”

Recently, rape cases are on the rise, with an 8-year-old girl reportedly gang-raped and dumped outside her home in Juba’s Gudele suburb on the 9th of May.

Last week, the Minister of Gender, Child and Social Welfare – Aya Benjamin – vowed to ensure that all rapists are brought to book.

The minister added that her institution will soon launch a special court for gender-based violence to address issues of sexual assault and other forms of violence against women.

The family urged security agencies to step up and apprehend criminals who rape women in the country.