By James Innocent
The warrant officer of police gender desk at Yei County Police headquarters has warned girls against accepting gifts from young men in exchange of love.
Aguil Yol Bior, the officer responsible for GBV cases in Yei County of Central Equatoria state said that young girls always become victims of gender-based violence during the festive seasons.
According to her, the highest GBV cases are usually reported at the end of the year and at the start. And that this year between January and December, her office has registered eight GBV cases – mostly among young girls and boys.
“Young women and girls should be very careful during the Christmas and New Year celebrations. It is during this time that girls fall victims of GBV cases through forced marriages,” Aguil explains.
It is during this time that boys deceive the girls by offering gifts like smart phones and new clothes, and handouts for the festive season. Because of this, they (girls) accept to go in to sexual affairs with them (boys),” she says.
According to the warrant officer, the young men that deceive the girls usually only aim at using the girls – and not really genuine love. She said in the end, the girls get pregnant, and there after dumped by the boys.
To make things worse according to her, the girls’ parents chase the victims from home and force them to marry the irresponsible young men who can’t even take care of their supposed love birds.
“You will find a girl as young as 13 years gets pregnant, drops out of school, and is forced to marry the boy who made her pregnant. However, I personally blame the girls for accepting the deceptive gifts. They should desist from that,” Officer Yol concluded.
Sunday Mary Rose, a resident of Hai Simba in Yei laments the act of even older men who deceive young girls with threats just to have sexual relationship.
“There are so many men out there who just look for sexual satisfaction. As a mother, admonish the young girls against accepting gifts from them.
Mary also advised young girls to dress decently so as to avoid lustful feelings from men.
“I also advise girls to dress in a respectable manner in public during the festive season. Putting on clothes that exposes your body parts attract men in to making sexual advances towards you. If you dress decently in public, you’ll attract civilized people,” she elucidates.