An orphan's brutal murder shines a spotlight on child abuse in Somalia

A woman is currently awaiting execution in Somalia after being convicted of killing a 14-year-old girl in her care.

The murder of orphan Saabirin Saylaan in November, and the horrific details that emerged about the circumstances surrounding her death, sparked protests near her home in Galkayo, along with renewed calls for greater child protection.

The case touched a deep nerve in a country where child abuse often goes unreported, especially when it occurs inside extended families.

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

The conviction of 34-year-old Hodan Mohamud Diiriye for murder marked one of the rare instances 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 verdict.

Her husband, Abdiaziz Nor, 65, was acquitted of murder but sentenced to one year in prison and fined $500 (£375) for negligence.

Saabirin was orphaned 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 looked after by her late mother's aunt, who ensured she got an education and attended a traditional Quranic school.

But her life took a devastating turn in September after Saabirin's great-aunt agreed that Diiriye's family, who needed a home help, could take her in.

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

Evidence recovered from Diiriye's phone, including videos and audio recordings documented repeated violence. Some of these were leaked to the public before the trial – it is not clear who released them.

In one particularly 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 stab wounds consistent with prolonged violence.

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

Hundreds of women and young people marched in Galkayo, one of the largest cities in Somalia's semi-autonomous Puntland region, carrying signs reading "Justice for Saabirin" and calling on the authorities to prosecute all those responsible.

They gathered outside the local hospital where her body was lying in the morgue.

Things got so heated that during one protest demonstrators clashed with police and a young man was shot dead, though it is not clear who fired the bullet.

Online, young women and girls launched a wave of solidarity campaigns, using hashtags invoking Saabirin's name.

"No child should die like this," a tearful 18-year-old protester Aniiso Abdullahi 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 is when elders from the clans of those involved in a dispute intervene with the aim of avoiding revenge and further violence, rather than establish criminal guilt. Some kind of compensation is usually agreed but as this process prioritises peace over justice for the victim, and the voices of women and children are not often heard, there is a feeling that some crimes are not being addressed.

Child abuse in Somalia is often hidden within households, and extended families are traditionally viewed as safe and private spaces – where the state should not interfere.

Diiriye's trial and other related hearings were broadcast live on social media to ensure public trust in the justice system.

Regional police commander Mohamud Abdihakim 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 emerges 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.

Najeb Wehelie, the director of child rights organisation Dhoodaan said that "the case highlights the profound 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.

In June 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 alleged perpetrator was swiftly arrested.

According to Save the Children in Somalia, three horrific acts of violence against children occurred in the country during October and November - the murder of four young children through arson in Hargeisa, the violent rape of an 11-year-old girl in Puntland and the murder of a mother and her three daughters in central Somalia.

The head of the local women's association in Galkayo, Shukri Abdi, 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 ratified the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child, with 130 lawmakers voting in favour, 10 against, and five abstaining.

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
• Ensuring state responsibility for vulnerable and orphaned children
• And establishing monitoring systems in school, hospitals and communities.

But just three days later, the ministry of family and human rights development issued a clarification stating that the implementation of the charter would be guided by Islamic law and the constitution, with provisions contrary to religious teaching not being enforced.

It said that Somali parental authority was fundamental and no external entity could override it. The ministry also said that the charter's restriction on marriage before the age of 18 contradicted Sharia, which allows marriage when a girl reaches puberty – though in practice in Somalia the minimum age has been 15.

Fadumo Ahmed, a women's and child's rights activist, argued that enforcement of similar measures that already existed in Somalia remained weak.

The police lack the capacity to deal with cases along with social services. Cases often get interfered with by clan elders, which undermines the justice system and victims' voices are not heard, she said.

She adds that children were often unaware that they could speak out and many schools were not teaching them that they could report abuse.

"In many similar cases [to Saabirin's], both sides of the family reach a behind-the-door agreement and then inform the government that the matter has been resolved," Ms Ahmed said.

Shukri Ahmed Hussein, the coordinator for Puntland's ministry of women's development and family affairs for the region that includes Galkayo, denies that the authorities are failing in their responsibility to protect children.

In an interview with the BBC, she pointed out programmes to help youths who at one time had been recruited into armed groups, as well as efforts to protect street children.

She did however admit that in cases like the one involving Saabirin, it is sometimes difficult 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 in Puntland has the right to be removed from any household in which they do not feel safe," Ms Hussein said.

Although Saabirin's life was cut tragically short, her death is now forcing overdue conversations about child safety in Somalia.

But as the local community reflects on the verdict, some are unsure if the justice will be served in the long run.

"There is nothing to celebrate yet, we still need clarity," one of the young protesters, Abdikadir Ali, said in a social media message.

"We don't want justice in words, we want to see it with our own eyes. We don't want delays."