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A woman is currently facing execution in the Horn of Africa nation after being convicted of murdering a teenager in her charge.

The murder of parentless child Saabirin Saylaan in November, and the gruesome details that came to light about the circumstances surrounding her death, provoked protests near her home in Galkayo, along with fresh calls for stronger child protection.

The incident touched a deep nerve in a nation where child abuse frequently remains hidden, especially when it occurs inside clan households.

For numerous people, Saabirin's death symbolised a wider failure in child protection and the slow implementation of legal protections designed to prevent such tragedies.

An Uncommon Judgment

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 rejected the charges and her lawyer has filed an challenge against the ruling.

Her spouse, Abdiaziz Nor, 65, was cleared of murder but given one year in prison and ordered to pay $500 for failure of care.

A Life Cut Short

Saabirin was orphaned when both her parents died within a brief time when she was just one year old.

Both of her grandmothers had also died so she was cared for by her late mother's aunt, who made sure she got an schooling and attended a traditional Quranic school.

But her life took a tragic turn in September after Saabirin's great-aunt agreed that Diiriye's family, who needed a domestic helper, 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 obtained from Diiriye's phone, including videos and audio recordings captured repeated violence. Some of these were leaked to the public before the trial.

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

A autopsy of Saabirin's body revealed multiple injuries and deep knife wounds indicative of sustained violence.

Public Outcry

As details of the police investigation surfaced, community outrage grew.

Hundreds of women and young people demonstrated in Galkayo, holding signs reading "We Demand Justice" 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 tense 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 invoking 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 resolve this case through clan customs or behind closed doors."

This describes when elders from the clans 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 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 pursuit of justice for the murdered teenager.

"The perpetrator 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 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 reach the police," he added.

Laws and Obstacles

In the summer this year, police in the capital, Mogadishu, received 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 details legal frameworks to prevent abuse, exploitation and violence against minors.

Its provisions include:

• Outlawing 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 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 parental authority was paramount and no external entity could override 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 resources to deal with cases along with social services. Cases often get mediated by 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 speak out 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 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 act. 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 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 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 postponements."