Deng Thiak Adut (born 1984) is a defence lawyer and refugee advocate in Western Sydney, Australia, and a former child soldier from South Sudan.
His story is told in a popular short video by Western Sydney University, where he earned his law degree.
Adut was born in 1984[1] near Malek, a small fishing village in South Sudan near White Nile River.
He witnessed many atrocities, including people dying from dehydration and a grenade explosion and children committing suicide.
[9] Adut reached Australia in 1998 at age 14 due to sponsorship by Christian aid workers Bob and Christine Harrison.
[2]: 87, 91 Along with solicitor Joseph Correy, Adut co-founded AC Law Group and is still a partner,[6][5] supporting youths of Western Sydney's Sudanese community as a defence lawyer.
[6][2]: 89 [4] Adut founded the John Mac Foundation in honour of his half-brother, John Mac Acuek, who helped Adut escape South Sudan and died in 2014 while leading an effort to rescue South Sudanese civilians from ongoing conflict.
Society president Gary Ulman said the award is "testament to [Adut's] personal and professional achievements over a number of years, and to his outstanding contribution to the community of Western Sydney.
"[6] An acrylic and oil on linen portrait of Adut titled Deng by artist Nick Stathopoulos won the People's Choice Award in the 2016 Archibald Prize at the Art Gallery of New South Wales.