A man has been detained in Tonj North County, Warrap State, for reportedly beating his wife unconscious with a stick.
The area police identified the suspect Machar Kuol, 43 – a resident of Anguotbuol village in Marial Lou Payam.
Capt. Bona Bol Kuol, inspector of police in the county said Machar attacked and hurt the mother of six children on Wednesday night. It is still unclear what caused the assault.
The beating resulted in head injuries, which made the woman lose consciousness. She was rushed to hospital unconscious,” he told Mayardit FM.
Capt. Bol said Machar was later taken into custody, where he is expected to be arraigned in court soon.
The police officer called upon husbands to end domestic violence and strive to resolve disagreements amicably.
The South Sudan Penal Code 2008 stipulates that whoever assaults or uses criminal force against a person, except as a response to grave and sudden provocation given by that person, commits an offence.
“Upon conviction, [an offender] shall be sentenced to imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or with a fine or with both,” it reads Article 225, Chapter XVII.
The United Nations has reported a surge in gender-based violence in South Sudan, fueled by persistent conflict and the climate crisis.
Prominent forms of gender-based violence in the country include sexual violence, intimate partner violence, and forced marriage.
While men and boys are also affected by gender-based violence, the majority of survivors are women and girls.
According to a report from the Global Women’s Institute and the International Rescue Committee, up to 65% of South Sudanese women and girls in conflict zones have experienced physical or sexual violence.