A Cell, A Court, and a Second Chance: Luelle’s Fight for Freedom

22-year-old Luelle, acquitted of a false murder charge after two years in detention, is now focused on rebuilding his life with hope.

For Luelle, a 22-year-old from Tonj South, life came to a halt the day he was accused of a crime he didn’t commit.

As the eldest of ten siblings and the main provider for his family, Luelle had shouldered responsibilities well beyond his years.

His job as a soldier allowed him to support his widowed mother and siblings—until an incident in October 2022 changed everything.

After trying to de-escalate a situation involving a drunk fellow soldier, Luelle found himself at the centre of a murder accusation following the death of a civilian months later.

Though he had no involvement, he was arrested, detained, and held without trial for nearly two years.

With no court in his locality, Luelle was locked in a cramped metal container in a makeshift prison—an overcrowded, sweltering space where heat and disease spread quickly.

“If I had stayed any longer, I would have died,” he said, showing scars from the skin infections he developed while detained.

Incidentally, six month into his detention, the Tonj South Prison was completely renovated with the support of the Kong Koc Area-Based Programme of the Reconciliation, Stabilisation and Resilience Trust Fund (RSRTF).  

A signboard marks the transformation of Tonj South Prison—renovated through the Kong Koc programme to restore dignity, improve conditions, and strengthen justice in the heart of the community.

The facility, once made of metal containers, was rebuilt using proper brick structures with separate areas for remand prisoners and improved ventilation—restoring a sense of dignity and humanity.

Meanwhile, his family, devastated by his absence, sold their livestock to survive. Tragically, his younger stepbrother died from an illness they could not afford to treat.

The renovated prison.

In early 2024, everything changed. A mobile court was deployed with support from RSRTF. A High Court judge was brought in to hear long-pending cases like Luelle’s.

When his trial began, the prosecution failed to provide credible evidence—no eyewitnesses, only rumours. The judge ruled the accusations baseless, and on 25 February 2024, Luelle was acquitted and walked out of prison a free man.

“When the judge said I was not guilty, I felt like my life had started again,” Luelle said. “I surrendered because I believed the truth would come out. I have no regrets.”

Luelle stands quietly in front of Cell #3—the place he called home for nearly a year and a half while waiting for a trial that would finally prove his innocence.

Now free, Luelle is trying to rebuild what was lost. With no intention of returning to the army, he works as a motorcycle taxi rider, renting a bike daily to support his family.

He dreams of starting a small business, but resources are scarce. Still, he’s grateful—grateful to have survived, grateful to be heard, and grateful for a second chance.

His story is not just one of survival, but a powerful reminder that when justice is made accessible—through mobile courts, infrastructure, and support—lives can be restored, and communities can heal.

Luelle stands alongside prison officials and RSRTF consortium members in front of the newly renovated Tonj South Prison—a place that once held him, now transformed to uphold justice with dignity.