By William Madouk Garang
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation on Tuesday said it has learned with regret the alleged rape incident involving one of its diplomats at the Country’s permanent mission to United Nations.
Charles Dickens Imene Oliha, 46, a career diplomat of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation in South Sudan was arrested on Sunday following an alleged sexual assault in upper Manhattan.
The alleged attack is said to have occurred around lunchtime in the same building where Oliha resides.
Oliha was released by New York Police Department (NYPD) officers after they were informed of his diplomatic immunity that comes from his role at the United Nations.
In a press statement seen by No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper yesterday, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs felt sorry of the alleged rape incident, adding that they will soon take appropriate actions.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, this morning 23rd August 2022, has learned with regret the alleged rape incident involving one of its diplomats at the Permanent Mission in New York,” reads part of the statement.
“The administration of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation is paying keen attention to this report and will urgently take appropriate measures to address it,” it added.
The victim told police how she was walking her dog around noon when she was approached by a man in the lobby of her building, reports the New York Post.
“The man is alleged to have told the woman he was going to follow her upstairs to which she responded ‘No, you’re not’,” the report said.
“The alleged assault is said to have occurred around lunchtime on Sunday. The suspect persisted and as she opened the door to her apartment, the man forced his way inside and pinned her against the wall.”
Police said the woman was raped twice, once with a condom and then again for a second time without using one.
According to the report, after the assault, the woman was in shock and went to sleep; only filing a report after a friend convinced her to go to the police.
The victim was then taken to Columbia University Medical Center for medical attention.
Reacting to the matter, the director of the Women’s Equal Justice project and a former sex-crimes prosecutor, Jane Manning said it’s disturbing for the accuse to scot-free.
“It is incredibly disturbing that someone who is accused of rape cannot be held accountable no matter what the facts. I hope that the NYPD detectives will still do a full and thorough investigation to establish what the evidence shows,” she said.
The deputy permanent representative for the embassy of South Sudan, Cecilia Adeng told The Post they were ‘not aware’ of Oliha’s alleged crimes.
“This is not something that’s tolerable at all. We’ll be reporting to our headquarters and seeing what’s going on,” she said.