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A female is presently facing execution in Somalia after being convicted of killing a 14-year-old girl in her custody.

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

The case resonated deeply in a nation where child abuse frequently goes unreported, particularly when it occurs inside extended families.

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

A Rare Verdict

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

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

Her spouse, Abdiaziz Nor, 65, was cleared of murder but sentenced 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 died within a brief time 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 tragic turn in September after Saabirin's elder relative agreed that Diiriye's family, who needed a home help, 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 endured "routine physical abuse" - she was beaten and subjected to cruelty.

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

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

A autopsy of Saabirin's body revealed multiple injuries and deep knife wounds indicative of prolonged violence.

Community Anger

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

Many of women and young people marched in Galkayo, carrying signs reading "We Demand Justice" and calling on 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 killed by gunfire.

Online, young women and girls launched a wave of solidarity campaigns, 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 clans of those involved in a dispute intervene with the aim of avoiding revenge, rather than determine criminal guilt.

A Widespread Problem

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 streamed live on social media to ensure public trust in the justice system.

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

"The offender is now only awaiting the carrying out 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 applied to them as well," he said.

A director of a child rights organisation said that "this tragedy underscores the profound 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 severe cases ever are reported to the police," he added.

Laws and Obstacles

In June this year, police in the capital, Mogadishu, acted on 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 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 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 decades-old charter outlines legal frameworks to prevent abuse, exploitation and violence against minors.

Its provisions include:

• Outlawing all forms of child abuse
• Strengthening legal punishment for guardians who harm or neglect children
• Ensuring 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 statement 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 fundamental and no external entity could override 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 weakens the justice system and victims' voices are not heard, she said.

She notes that children were often unaware 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 challenging 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 taken from any household in which they do not feel safe," the official said.

A Catalyst for Change

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

"There is nothing to rejoice 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."