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A female is currently awaiting execution in Somalia after being found guilty of killing a teenager in her care.

The killing of orphan Saabirin Saylaan in last autumn, and the gruesome details that came to light about the circumstances surrounding her death, sparked protests near her home in Galkayo, along with reinvigorated demands for stronger child protection.

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

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

A Rare Verdict

The guilty verdict of 34-year-old Hodan Mohamud Diiriye for murder represented one of the rare cases in Somalia where a court handed down the ultimate penalty for child abuse.

Diiriye had denied the charges and her lawyer has lodged an challenge against the ruling.

Her husband, Abdiaziz Nor, 65, was cleared of murder but given one year in prison and ordered to pay $500 for failure of care.

A Life Cut Short

Saabirin was left parentless when both her parents passed away within a brief time when she was just one year old.

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

But her life took a tragic turn in September after Saabirin's elder relative agreed that Diiriye's family, who required a domestic helper, could take her in.

Proof of Maltreatment

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

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

In one particularly disturbing recording, Diiriye can be heard saying: "I take pleasure in your pain."

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

Community Anger

As details of the police investigation surfaced, public anger escalated.

Many of women and young people demonstrated in Galkayo, carrying signs reading "Justice for Saabirin" and urging the authorities to bring to trial all those responsible.

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

Things got so tense that during one protest demonstrators confronted police and a young man was shot dead.

Online, young women and girls initiated a wave of support movements, using social media tags citing Saabirin's name.

"No child should die like this," a tearful 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 tribal agreements or behind closed doors."

This refers to when elders from the clans of those involved in a dispute intervene with the aim of avoiding revenge, rather than determine criminal guilt.

A Systemic Challenge

Child abuse in Somalia is often hidden within households, and extended families are customarily viewed as safe 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 represented an important 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 other individuals were involved in this crime, they will not be exempted, the law will be fully enforced to them as well," he said.

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

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

Legal Frameworks and Challenges

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

According to a report, three appalling 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 children.

Its provisions 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 government department issued a clarification 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 argued that enforcement of existing measures in Somalia remained weak.

The police lack the capacity 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 behind-the-door agreement and then inform the government that the matter has been settled," 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 pointed out programmes to help youths and efforts to protect street children.

She did however admit that in cases like Saabirin's, it is sometimes challenging to act. She acknowledged that more should be done to increase awareness that people can speak out 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 Catalyst for Change

Although Saabirin's life was cut tragically short, her death is now forcing overdue conversations about child safety in Somalia.

But as the local community considers the verdict, some are unsure if justice will be achieved 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 postponements."