A 39-year-old man was killed by a mob after being accused of raping and strangling a 13-year-old girl in Obongi district. The victim, identified as Vivian Poni, a Primary Four pupil at Chinyi Primary School in Paalujo Parish, Palorinya Sub-County, was found dead in her home.
According to police, the incident occurred around 2:00 a.m. on Monday, when the suspect, Daniel Dumo, a South Sudanese refugee living in the neighborhood, reportedly entered the house where the minor was sleeping with her six-year-old sister. Collins Asea, the North West Nile Region police spokesperson, explained that the suspect allegedly struggled with the minor in an attempt to have sexual intercourse and later strangled her to death.
“The community identified Dumo Daniel as the perpetrator. Upon discovering his involvement, the community mobbed and killed him”, he said. Asea condemned the act of mob justice, urging the community to follow proper legal procedures.
“We urge the local community to refrain from mob justice and allow law enforcement to handle suspects through proper legal procedures”, he noted. Liong Fatina, the mother of the deceased minor, told URN that she found her daughter dead in their home when she returned in the morning. She immediately raised an alarm, prompting neighbours to gather at the scene.
“I returned home in the morning and found my daughter dead in the house. I raised an alarm, and neighbors gathered, Liong recounted. According to the 2024 Police Annual Crime Report, a total of 1,667 cases of rape were reported to the police in 2024, compared to 1,577 cases in 2023, representing a 5.7% increase. In the West Nile region alone, at least 51 cases of rape were recorded during 2024. URN