By Hou Akot Hou
Police in Aweil, Northern Bahr el Ghazal State, have detained 31 young people who were allegedly involved in inappropriate behaviour ahead of South Sudan’s 13th Independence Anniversary on Tuesday.
According to Captain Guot Guot Akol, the police spokesperson, the youths, ranging in age from 16 to 20 years old, were caught engaging in inappropriate relationships with young girls in public areas of the town. Eight of the detainees were female.
“We arrested 31 young members of gangs whom we believe are from the gang groups. Most of these are young people around 16 -20 years of age. Eight of them are girls and most of these are boys who whisked girls away on motorbikes in form of picnics during the Anniversary,” Akol said.
The police allege the youths were luring girls away from the main festivities under the guise of celebrations, only to engage in illicit activities.
Akol stated this was not the first time police have apprehended young people behaving inappropriately during major public events in Aweil.
“As police, we have several records of young boys and girls getting into love affairs in busy parts of the town, especially at night and we tell parents to keep eyes on their children in disciplining their young girls and boys but they come and bail them out and argue with us,” Akol said.
The detained youths were taken to court, where some were fined between 1,000 – 200,000 South Sudanese Pounds, while others received sentences of 1-2 months in prison.
Akol urged parents to take more responsibility in monitoring and disciplining their children, warning that the culture is getting eroded if inappropriate youth behaviour is left unchecked during public celebrations.