By Matia Samuel Timatio
Authorities in Ezo County of Western Equatoria State are holding a husband and a wife over burning the private parts of three kids including two girls and a boy by their step mother last week according to the County Commissioner.
The Commissioner of Ezo County, Abel Sudan told No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper that the incident happened last week in Ezo County.
He said the co-wife of the biological mother of the inhumanly tortured children took fire and burnt the private parts of the kids deliberately.
The Commissioner cited that it’s not the first time for the father and his wife to mistreat the children but the children have been always subjected to cruel torture which is evidenced with the scars of multiple cuts of razor blades on their bodies.
Abel disclosed that the children are IDPs who came from Tambura due to the conflict and they have been in Ezo with their step-mother for quite a long time.
“It was last week where a co-wife to their mother took fire and burnt the private parts of the children and according to our analyses, the children have some multiple cuts of razor blade in their stomachs, around their private parts, even around their hearts,” Commissioner Abel narrated.
He said the children have been subjected to torment whereby they are cut on their bodies in big size and red pepper being spread into the deep cuts.
“So, we realized these children have been suffering long time ago in Tambura and same habit in Ezo, we thought it wise we cannot tolerate this in our county, we have to arrest them (parents) and put them under detention and monitor the situation of this three kids in the hospital until they get well then we shall present them to the court for the law to take its course,” Abel lamented.
He said the boy is eight (8) years old, and the two girls, one is eleven years (11) and the other one is thirteen (13) years old.
The Commissioner condemned the cruel act of the parents describing the practices as totally inhuman and abuses against children which had been applied to those minors who even doesn’t know what they were punished for.
Abel noted that the situation of the children in the hospital was very bad and is very horrible.
The Ezo County Commissioner said they are working hard with the medical personnel on ground to see that the children are treated well but he expressed fears saying those children might have some difficulties in future with their private parts.
“Our worry is that the way the private part of the boy was burnt is likely to affect him in future, he may not really be strong as a man but he will be somehow according to how the burn has taken place because even I have never seen a private part of human being tortured in that formula and it’s something very bad and we are working to see how our doctors on ground can try to catch up with the situation but they may not recover fully because there are some parts which are already being damaged,” he further disclosed.
Abel assured that his authority will make sure justice prevails adding the kids’ father and his wife will have to appear before the court of law and the children will have to be taken away from them and given to family relatives who can take good care of them.
He added that this will be an example to those mistreating children in the communities.
“I will ensure the law takes its course because this is inhuman and this is killing, they must face the high judgment so that they can serve their sentences due to the number of years according to the weight of their crime that they have caused against the humanity and my call is let everyone desist from such kind of acts.”
“Children should not be subjected to mistreatment, they have their rights, if the kid is not listening, make sure you put the kid down and teach him or her on what you want him to be. Educate them on what you want them to do,” Commissioner Abel stressed.