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A female is presently awaiting execution in the Horn of Africa nation after being convicted of murdering a 14-year-old girl in her care.

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

The incident resonated deeply in a country where child abuse often remains hidden, particularly when it occurs inside clan households.

For many, Saabirin's death symbolised a wider failure in child protection and the slow implementation of legal protections meant to prevent such tragedies.

An Uncommon Judgment

The conviction of 34-year-old Hodan Mohamud Diiriye for murder marked one of the uncommon instances in Somalia where a court imposed the ultimate penalty for child abuse.

Diiriye had rejected the charges and her lawyer has lodged an challenge against the decision.

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

A Life Cut Short

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

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

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

Evidence of Abuse

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

Evidence obtained from Diiriye's phone, including recordings and audio recordings captured 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 autopsy of Saabirin's body showed multiple injuries and deep stab wounds indicative of sustained violence.

Public Outcry

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

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

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

Things got so heated that during one protest demonstrators clashed with police and a young man was shot dead.

Online, young women and girls initiated a wave of solidarity campaigns, 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 reject the attempts by traditional elders who want to resolve this case through tribal agreements or behind closed doors."

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

A Widespread Problem

Child abuse in Somalia is often concealed within households, and relatives are traditionally viewed as safe spaces – where the state should not intervene.

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

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

"The perpetrator is now only awaiting the implementation of the death sentence. If further evidence emerges proving that other 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 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 extreme 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 brutally mistreated inside the home of his father's wife. The accused perpetrator was swiftly 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 overwhelmed with cases of violence in the home, many of which never make it to 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 details legal frameworks to prevent abuse, exploitation and violence against children.

Its stipulations include:

• Outlawing 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 contrary to religious teaching not being applied.

It said that Somali family rights was paramount and no external entity could override 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 resources to deal with cases along with social services. Cases often get interfered with clan elders, which weakens the justice system and victims' voices are not heard, she said.

She notes that children were often did not know that they could report abuse and many schools were not teaching them that they could report abuse.

"In many similar cases, both sides of the family reach a private 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 rejects 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 awareness 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 cut tragically short, her death is now forcing long-delayed conversations about child safety in Somalia.

But as the local community reflects on the verdict, some are unsure if justice will be served in the long run.

"There is nothing to celebrate yet, we still need certainty," 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."