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A woman is currently facing the death penalty in the Horn of Africa nation after being convicted of killing a teenager in her care.

The murder of orphan Saabirin Saylaan in last autumn, and the horrific details that emerged about the conditions surrounding her death, triggered demonstrations near her home in Galkayo, along with reinvigorated demands for stronger child protection.

The incident touched a deep nerve in a nation where child abuse frequently remains hidden, particularly when it occurs inside extended families.

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

An Uncommon Judgment

The guilty verdict of 34-year-old Hodan Mohamud Diiriye for murder represented one of the uncommon 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 challenge against the verdict.

Her spouse, Abdiaziz Nor, 65, was cleared of murder but sentenced 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 short period 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 classical Quranic school.

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

Evidence of Abuse

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

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

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

A post-mortem examination of Saabirin's body revealed multiple injuries and deep knife wounds indicative of sustained violence.

Public Outcry

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

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

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

Online, young women and girls launched 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 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 families of those involved in a dispute intervene with the aim of avoiding revenge, rather than establish criminal guilt.

A Widespread Problem

Child abuse in Somalia is often concealed within households, and relatives are traditionally viewed as private 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 represented 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 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 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 severely abused inside the home of his father's wife. The alleged perpetrator was quickly arrested.

According to a report, 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 outlines legal frameworks to prevent abuse, exploitation and violence against minors.

Its stipulations include:

• Criminalising all forms of child abuse
• Strengthening legal punishment for guardians who harm or neglect children
• Ensuring 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 contrary to religious teaching not being applied.

It said that Somali family rights was fundamental and no external entity could override it.

Weak Enforcement

A women's and child's rights activist argued 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 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 disclose 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 official for the region's ministry of women's development denies 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 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 Force for Conversation

Although Saabirin's life was ended too soon, 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 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."