Once all is set, the suspects are brought in from the United Nations protection site, under heavy UN police security. And then one by one, the accused take their place in the dock, as the audience awaits the proceedings
According to a joint report by OHCHR and the UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS), attacks against women have decreased significantly since the peace accord was signed on 12 September
According to the Komnas Perempuan annual report in 2018, they received 2,979 reports of sexual assault. Amiruddin said the number has increased from previous years because there are more victims who want to report rape
According to most recent available government figures, 3,900 rapes or attempted rapes were registered in 2015, leading to 2,700 convictions. Activists, however, estimate that only about 10 percent of victims approach the police and that police only register about 20 percent of those reports
In recent days, alumnae of the ORT Jewish community school, including the daughter of Argentine politician Daniel Filmus, have also publcly accused a school doctor of sexually abusing them when they were between 13 and 14 years old
The UN mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) helped in refurbishing the courthouse within its existing resources and now, at the directive of the country’s Chief Justice, the court has been set up to try serious crimes committed inside and outside the Mission’s protections sites
Following the reports, the United Nations Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS,) which has been tasked with the ‘Protection of Civilians’ mandate, intensified patrols in the areas where the attacks were reported to have taken place, and at the same time redeployed engineers to work on clearing roads leading to paths women used to walk to collect food
Over the past two weeks, approximately 125 women and girls had sought medical treatment after having been raped or sexually assaulted in a ten-day period as they walked along roads near Nhialdu and Guit on their way to Bentiu
The horrific cases of sexual violence are among the many atrocities reported in South Sudan since the world’s youngest nation erupted into civil war after achieving independence in 2011