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A woman is presently facing execution in Somalia after being found guilty of murdering a teenager in her charge.

The tragic death of orphan Saabirin Saylaan in November, and the gruesome details that came to light about the conditions surrounding her death, triggered protests near her home in Galkayo, along with reinvigorated calls for enhanced child protection.

The tragedy 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 wider failure in child protection and the delayed implementation 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 rare cases 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 decision.

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

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 traditional Quranic school.

But her life took a tragic turn in September after Saabirin's elder relative agreed that Diiriye's family, who needed a domestic helper, could take her in.

Proof of Maltreatment

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

Proof 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 particularly disturbing recording, Diiriye can be heard saying: "I take pleasure in your pain."

A autopsy of Saabirin's body revealed multiple injuries and deep stab wounds consistent with sustained violence.

Community Anger

As details of the police investigation emerged, community outrage 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 held in the morgue.

Things got so heated that during one protest demonstrators clashed with police and a young man was killed by gunfire.

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 resolve this case through tribal agreements 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 determine criminal guilt.

A Systemic Challenge

Child abuse in Somalia is often concealed within households, and relatives are traditionally viewed as safe spaces – where the state should not intervene.

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 represented 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 other 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 "this tragedy highlights 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.

Legal Frameworks and Challenges

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 accused 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 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 long-standing charter outlines legal frameworks to prevent abuse, exploitation and violence against children.

Its stipulations include:

• Outlawing all forms of child abuse
• Toughening 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 in accordance with 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 ineffective.

The police do not have the resources to deal with cases along with social services. Cases often get interfered with 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 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 official for the region's ministry of women's development denies 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 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 Force for Conversation

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 unsure if justice will be achieved in the long run.

"There is nothing to celebrate yet, we still need certainty," 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."