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A female is now awaiting the death penalty in the Horn of Africa nation after being found guilty of murdering a 14-year-old girl in her charge.

The murder of parentless child Saabirin Saylaan in last autumn, and the horrific details that emerged about the circumstances surrounding her death, provoked protests near her home in Galkayo, along with renewed demands for stronger child protection.

The incident resonated deeply in a nation where child abuse often goes unreported, particularly when it takes place inside clan households.

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

An Uncommon Judgment

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

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

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

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 made sure she got an education and attended a traditional Quranic school.

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

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 subjected to cruelty.

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

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

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

Community Anger

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

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

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

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

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

This describes 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 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 important moment in the pursuit 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 exempted, the law will be fully enforced to them as well," he said.

A director of a child rights organisation said that "the case highlights the deep 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 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 alleged perpetrator was swiftly 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 reach the courts.

On 1 October this year, Somalia's parliament ratified 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 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 government department 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 enforced.

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

Lax Implementation

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

The police do not have the capacity 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 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 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 pointed out 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 speak out 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 considers the verdict, some are uncertain if true accountability will be served 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 postponements."