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A female is presently facing the death penalty in Somalia after being convicted of murdering a 14-year-old girl in her custody.

The tragic death of orphan Saabirin Saylaan in November, and the shocking details that came to light about the circumstances surrounding her death, triggered protests near her home in Galkayo, along with renewed demands for stronger child protection.

The tragedy struck a chord in a nation where child abuse frequently goes unreported, especially when it occurs inside clan households.

For many, Saabirin's death represented a broader failure in child protection and the sluggish implementation of legal protections designed to prevent such tragedies.

A Rare Verdict

The conviction of 34-year-old Hodan Mohamud Diiriye for murder represented one of the rare instances in Somalia where a court imposed the death sentence for child abuse.

Diiriye had denied the charges and her lawyer has filed an challenge against the verdict.

Her spouse, Abdiaziz Nor, 65, was acquitted of murder but given one year in prison and ordered to pay $500 for negligence.

A Tragic Upbringing

Saabirin was orphaned when both her parents died within a short period when she was just one year old.

Both of her elder female relatives had also died so she was looked after by her late mother's aunt, who ensured she got an schooling and attended a traditional Quranic school.

But her life took a devastating turn in September after Saabirin's great-aunt agreed that Diiriye's family, who required a domestic helper, could assume her care.

Evidence of Abuse

During their inquiry, police disclosed that in the two months she was living there, the young girl had endured "routine physical abuse" - she was beaten and tortured.

Proof recovered from Diiriye's phone, including recordings and audio recordings documented repeated violence. Some of these were released to the public before the trial.

In one particularly harrowing recording, Diiriye can be heard saying: "I'm enjoying your pain."

A post-mortem examination of Saabirin's body showed multiple injuries and deep stab wounds indicative of sustained violence.

Community Anger

As details of the police investigation surfaced, community outrage escalated.

Hundreds of women and young people demonstrated in Galkayo, holding signs reading "Justice for Saabirin" and calling on the authorities to prosecute all those responsible.

They gathered outside the local hospital where her body was lying in the morgue.

Things got so tense that during one protest demonstrators clashed with police and a young man was killed by gunfire.

Online, young women and girls launched a wave of support movements, using hashtags invoking Saabirin's name.

"No child should die like this," a emotional 18-year-old protester said in a clip shared on social media. "We also oppose the attempts by traditional elders who want to settle this case through clan customs or behind closed doors."

This refers to when elders from the families of those involved in a dispute step in with the aim of avoiding revenge, rather than establish criminal guilt.

A Systemic Challenge

Child abuse in Somalia is often concealed within households, and extended families are customarily viewed as private spaces – where the state should not interfere.

Diiriye's trial and other related hearings were broadcast live on social media to foster public trust in the justice system.

A regional police commander said the verdict marked an significant moment in the pursuit of justice for the murdered teenager.

"The offender is now only awaiting the implementation of the death sentence. If further evidence surfaces proving that additional individuals were involved in this crime, they will not be exempted, the law will be fully applied to them as well," he said.

A director of a child rights organisation said that "this tragedy highlights the deep gaps that still exist in protecting the most basic human rights of children in our society."

"Children continue to face violence inside family homes, and only the most extreme cases ever are reported to the police," he added.

Legal Frameworks and Challenges

In the summer this year, police in the capital, Mogadishu, received a report that a three-year-old boy had been brutally mistreated inside the home of his father's wife. The alleged perpetrator was quickly arrested.

According to a assessment, three horrific acts of violence against children occurred in the country during October and November.

The head of a local women's association in Galkayo said the community was inundated with cases of violence in the home, many of which never reach the courts.

On 1 October this year, Somalia's parliament approved the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.

The long-standing charter outlines legal frameworks to prevent abuse, exploitation and violence against minors.

Its stipulations include:

• Criminalising all forms of child abuse
• Toughening legal punishment for guardians who harm or neglect children
• Guaranteeing state responsibility for vulnerable and orphaned children
• And creating monitoring systems in schools, hospitals and communities.

But just three days later, a ministry issued a statement stating that the implementation of the charter would be guided by Islamic law, with provisions conflicting with religious teaching not being applied.

It said that Somali parental authority was fundamental and no external entity could supersede it.

Lax Implementation

A women's and child's rights activist contended that enforcement of existing measures in Somalia remained weak.

The police do not have the resources to deal with cases along with social services. Cases often get mediated by clan elders, which undermines the justice system and victims' voices are not heard, she said.

She adds that children were often unaware that they could speak out and many schools were not teaching them that they could disclose abuse.

"In many similar cases, both sides of the family reach a private agreement and then inform the government that the matter has been resolved," the activist said.

A coordinator for the region's ministry of women's development denies that the authorities are failing in their responsibility to protect children.

She highlighted programmes to help youths and efforts to protect street children.

She did however admit that in cases like Saabirin's, it is sometimes difficult to act. She acknowledged that more should be done to increase understanding that people can raise concerns if they suspect that a child might not be safe.

"Every child has the right to be removed from any household in which they do not feel safe," the official said.

A Force for Conversation

Although Saabirin's life was ended too soon, her death is now compelling overdue conversations about child safety in Somalia.

But as the local community considers the verdict, some are unsure if true accountability will be served in the long run.

"There is nothing to rejoice yet, we still need clarity," one of the young protesters said. "We don't want justice in words, we want to see it with our own eyes. We don't want delays."