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A woman is currently facing execution in Somalia after being found guilty of killing a teenager in her care.

The murder of orphan Saabirin Saylaan in last autumn, and the shocking details that came to light about the circumstances surrounding her death, provoked protests near her home in Galkayo, along with renewed calls for greater child protection.

The case resonated deeply in a country where child abuse often goes unreported, especially when it takes place inside kinship networks.

For numerous people, Saabirin's death symbolised a broader failure in child protection and the sluggish enforcement of legal protections designed to prevent such atrocities.

A Rare Verdict

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

Diiriye had denied the charges and her lawyer has lodged an challenge against the verdict.

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

A Tragic Upbringing

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 cared for by her late mother's aunt, who made sure she got an schooling and attended a classical Quranic school.

But her life took a tragic turn in September after Saabirin's great-aunt agreed that Diiriye's family, who required a domestic helper, could take her in.

Evidence of Abuse

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

Proof recovered from Diiriye's phone, including videos and audio recordings captured ongoing violence. Some of these were leaked 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 showed multiple injuries and deep stab wounds indicative of prolonged violence.

Public Outcry

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

Hundreds of women and young people marched in Galkayo, holding signs reading "Justice for Saabirin" and urging 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 heated 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 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 clan customs or behind closed doors."

This describes 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 Widespread Problem

Child abuse in Somalia is often concealed within households, and relatives 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 implementation of the death sentence. If further evidence surfaces proving that additional 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 highlights 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 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 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 overwhelmed with cases of violence in the home, many of which never reach 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 creating 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 guided by Islamic law, with provisions conflicting with religious teaching not being applied.

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

Weak Enforcement

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

The police lack the capacity 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 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 coordinator for the region's ministry of women's development denies that the authorities are failing 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 difficult to act. She acknowledged that more should be done to increase understanding that people can speak out 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 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 reflects on the verdict, some are uncertain if justice 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."