Wau woman sentenced to six years for attempted child trafficking in Aweil

AWEIL – A 48-year-old woman from Wau has been sentenced to six years in prison after a court in Northern Bahr el Ghazal found her guilty of attempting to traffic two children from Aweil under the pretence of providing humanitarian assistance.

The suspect, identified as Awa Parenda Boya Hassan, was initially believed to be a foreign national. However, police have since confirmed that she is a South Sudanese citizen from Western Bahr el Ghazal State.

According to state police spokesperson Madut Ngong Aleu, Hassan admitted before the court that she conspired with other individuals, whose identities she did not disclose, to lure children away from their families. She was convicted at the Maper Court in Aweil Town and sentenced to a custodial term alongside heavy financial penalties.

“This woman suspect was caught on 16 December 2025 and remained in custody as investigations continued. On January 6, the court concluded the case and passed a six-year jail term,” Aleu said in an interview with Akol Yam FM on Tuesday.

In addition to the prison term, the court fined her one million South Sudanese pounds (SSF). Failure to pay the fine will result in an additional year in prison, extending the sentence to seven years. The court also ordered her to pay four million pounds in compensation to the children and 700,000 pounds to cover legal costs, bringing the total financial liability to 4.7 million SSP.

Police said the incident began at Aweil market, where Hassan allegedly approached two mothers and persuaded them to allow their children to accompany her for what she described as humanitarian support services. She reportedly instructed the mothers to provide identification cards and photographs before disappearing with the children.

Authorities later tracked her movements and arrested her in Wau the following day, successfully rescuing the children unharmed.

Aleu urged the public to exercise caution and avoid trusting strangers who offer gifts or assistance without proper verification.

“Never accept anything at face value. What that woman did is shameful, and it is good that she is facing the brunt of her actions,” he warned.

Officials say cases of child trafficking and child exploitation are increasing and have called on communities to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities. Police cited similar incidents in recent years where children were transported across borders for illegal purposes.

They emphasised that stronger community awareness and cooperation with law enforcement are essential to protecting children from trafficking networks.