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A woman is presently facing execution in Somalia after being found guilty of murdering a teenager in her charge.

The killing of orphan Saabirin Saylaan in last autumn, and the gruesome details that came to light about the circumstances surrounding her death, provoked 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 often goes unreported, especially when it occurs inside clan households.

For numerous people, Saabirin's death epitomised a wider shortcoming in child protection and the sluggish implementation of legal protections meant to prevent such tragedies.

An Uncommon Judgment

The guilty verdict of 34-year-old Hodan Mohamud Diiriye for murder marked one of the infrequent cases in Somalia where a court handed down the death sentence for child abuse.

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

Her husband, Abdiaziz Nor, 65, was cleared 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 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 looked after by her late mother's aunt, who made sure she got an education and attended a classical Quranic school.

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

Evidence of Abuse

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

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

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

A autopsy of Saabirin's body showed multiple injuries and deep knife wounds consistent with sustained violence.

Public Outcry

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

Hundreds of women and young people marched in Galkayo, carrying signs reading "Justice for Saabirin" 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 killed by gunfire.

Online, young women and girls initiated a wave of support movements, using hashtags 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 establish criminal guilt.

A Systemic Challenge

Child abuse in Somalia is often hidden within households, and relatives 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 ensure public trust in the justice system.

A regional police commander said the verdict marked an important moment in the quest 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 spared, 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 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 reach the police," he added.

Legal Frameworks and Challenges

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

• Criminalising all forms of child abuse
• Strengthening legal punishment for guardians who harm or neglect children
• Guaranteeing state responsibility for vulnerable and orphaned children
• And establishing 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 conflicting with religious teaching not being applied.

It said that Somali parental authority was paramount and no external entity could override it.

Lax Implementation

A women's and child's rights activist contended that implementation of similar measures in Somalia remained ineffective.

The police lack 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 did not know that they could speak out 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 resolved," the activist said.

A official 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 intervene. 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 Catalyst for Change

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 true accountability will be achieved in the long run.

"There is nothing to celebrate 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."