The teenage girl has since been rescued and reunited with her family, according to Luka Nyalok, Officer in Charge at the GPAA Coordinator Office in Juba.
“This incident only came to our attention recently,” Nyalok said. “The woman initially claimed she was taking the child to an orphanage in Juba. Later, she told her family the child had died.”
The truth emerged after a payment dispute between the parties involved, prompting an investigation and operation that led to the child’s recovery in Muruou County and the arrest of the mother in New Site, a neighborhood in Juba.
“We condemn this incident in the strongest terms,” Nyalok stated, confirming that the child is now safe and those responsible are facing legal consequences.
Government Steps Up Anti-Trafficking Efforts
Peter Ajany Kaimoi, GPAA’s Local Government Minister, said the rescue is part of wider efforts to crack down on child trafficking and abuse in the region.
“In 2023, we began drafting a customary law to combat all forms of child trafficking and abduction,” Kaimoi said. “This April, the draft was finalized and is now awaiting passage in our local parliament.”
He emphasized that the GPAA government remains committed to ending all forms of abuse against children, calling the case a wake-up call to strengthen both legal frameworks and community awareness.
Background: Hidden Exploitation and Familial Deception
The case has shocked many due to the deception involved. The mother, under the guise of seeking better care for her daughter, convinced her family she was taking the child to an orphanage in Juba. She later fabricated a story that the girl had died, only for the truth to unravel months later.
Human rights advocates warn that this case is part of a larger pattern of hidden child exploitation, particularly in vulnerable communities where poverty, gender inequality, and lack of legal enforcement create dangerous conditions for minors.
