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A female is now facing the death penalty in Somalia after being convicted of killing a teenager in her care.

The murder of parentless child Saabirin Saylaan in November, and the shocking details that emerged about the conditions surrounding her death, sparked protests near her home in Galkayo, along with reinvigorated demands for greater child protection.

The incident touched a deep nerve in a country where child abuse often goes unreported, especially when it occurs inside clan households.

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

An Uncommon Judgment

The guilty verdict of 34-year-old Hodan Mohamud Diiriye for murder represented one of the rare cases in Somalia where a court imposed the ultimate penalty for child abuse.

Diiriye had denied the charges and her lawyer has filed an appeal against the ruling.

Her husband, Abdiaziz Nor, 65, was acquitted of murder but given one year in prison and ordered to pay $500 for negligence.

A Life Cut Short

Saabirin was left parentless when both her parents died within a short period 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 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 take her in.

Evidence of Abuse

During their investigation, police revealed that in the two months she was living there, the young girl had endured "routine physical abuse" - she was assaulted and subjected to cruelty.

Proof obtained 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 particularly 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.

Community Anger

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

Many of women and young people marched in Galkayo, carrying signs reading "Justice for Saabirin" and calling on the authorities to prosecute all those responsible.

They assembled 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 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 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 preventing revenge, rather than establish criminal guilt.

A Systemic Challenge

Child abuse in Somalia is often concealed within households, and relatives are customarily viewed as safe 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 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 "the case underscores the profound 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 severe cases ever are reported to 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 brutally mistreated inside the home of his father's wife. The accused 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 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:

• 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 government department issued a clarification stating that the implementation of the charter would be guided by Islamic law, with provisions contrary to religious teaching not being enforced.

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

Lax Implementation

A women's and child's rights activist argued that implementation of similar 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 adds that children were often did not know 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 private agreement and then inform the government that the matter has been resolved," the activist said.

A coordinator 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 understanding 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 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 served 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."