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

The killing of orphan Saabirin Saylaan in November, and the shocking details that emerged about the conditions surrounding her death, triggered demonstrations near her home in Galkayo, along with renewed calls for greater child protection.

The case struck a chord in a nation where child abuse often remains hidden, especially when it takes place inside extended families.

For many, Saabirin's death epitomised a wider shortcoming in child protection and the sluggish enforcement of legal safeguards meant to prevent such atrocities.

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 appeal against the verdict.

Her spouse, Abdiaziz Nor, 65, was cleared of murder but sentenced one year in prison and fined $500 for failure of care.

A Tragic Upbringing

Saabirin was left parentless when both her parents passed away within a brief time 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 made sure she got an schooling 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 domestic helper, could assume her care.

Proof of Maltreatment

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

Proof obtained from Diiriye's phone, including recordings and audio recordings captured ongoing 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 revealed multiple injuries and deep stab wounds consistent with prolonged violence.

Community Anger

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

Hundreds of women and young people marched in Galkayo, holding signs reading "Justice for Saabirin" and urging 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 confronted police and a young man was killed by gunfire.

Online, young women and girls initiated a wave of solidarity campaigns, using hashtags citing 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 step in 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 traditionally viewed as safe spaces – where the state should not intervene.

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 important 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 emerges proving that additional individuals were involved in this crime, they will not be spared, 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 severe cases ever reach 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 brutally mistreated inside the home of his father's wife. The accused 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 make it to the courts.

On 1 October this year, Somalia's parliament ratified 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:

• 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 ministry issued a clarification stating that the implementation of the charter would be in accordance with Islamic law, with provisions conflicting with religious teaching not being applied.

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

Lax Implementation

A women's and child's rights activist argued that implementation 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 undermines 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 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 official for the region's ministry of women's development rejects that the authorities are neglecting 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 intervene. 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 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 uncertain if true accountability 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 delays."