The world has watched with great curiosity the court verdict that sentenced a goat to three years in prison for murder in South Sudan. The arrest of the goat last month was big news. Now here is another piece of news from South Sudan that is attracting attention.
Police in South Sudan have arrested a 12-year-old boy for allegedly beating him to death. The bull was found lying on the ground in a paddy field in the central Lakes state of South Sudan. There, a bull ran towards a child standing near a farm and hit him. The seriously injured child died.
The bull was arrested and taken into custody and is being held at a police station in Rumbeck County, police spokesman Major Elia Mayber said. After the postmortem of the child, the body was buried in the yard of the house. In South Sudan, which has a pet-related economy, it is legal to pay compensation to the victim’s family if a pet kills any person.
Last month, a woman named Adiu Chopping was killed by a sheep in the same state. As punishment, the sheep were sent to an army camp for 3 years. At the end of this sentence, the family of Adiu Chopping will receive this sheep as compensation. The court also ordered Duoni Manyang Dhal, the owner of the sheep, to pay five cows to Chaping’s family as compensation.
South Sudan is one of the poorest countries in the world. The nation was formed in 2011 after seceding from Sudan. Pets are an important asset in South Sudan, where the rural agricultural system is dominant. The number of cattle is considered a sign of wealth among the people. There is also a provision for transfer of property through cattle transfer.