THE authorities in Puntland, a semi‑autonomous region of Somalia, have executed a woman convicted of murdering a 14‑year‑old girl, in a rare case in the region in which the death penalty has been carried out against a woman.
Hodan Mohamud Diiriye, 34, was killed by firing squad on Tuesday in the city of Galkayo after a court found her guilty of beating to death a teenager who had been working as a domestic helper.
Saabirin Saylaan’s killing in November sparked protests 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.
Officials said the sentence was carried out under “qisas”, an Islamic legal principle that allows the family of a murder victim to demand execution rather than accept financial compensation.
A decree in the Mudug region, where the murder happened, requires Islamic law to be enforced in such cases.
Members of both Saabirin’s family and Diiriye’s family were present when the sentence was carried out, according to Faysal Sheikh Ali, Mudug’s governor.
The Puntland authorities said this was the first time in more than 10 years that a woman had been executed there under a retaliatory sentence.
The last known execution of a woman occurred in 2013, when 13 members of the Islamist militant group al‑Shabab, including one woman, were executed by firing squad for their involvement in the killing of a prominent Islamic scholar, the authorities said at the time.
Diiriye’s victim was orphaned when both her parents died within a short period when she was a one year old.
She was initially looked after by her family but then last year 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 had been 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 Puntland’s largest cities, carrying signs reading “Justice for Saabirin” and calling on the authorities to prosecute all those responsible.
In the wake of the case, activists, elders and community leaders have called for accountability and stronger protections for children and domestic workers, who are often vulnerable to abuse.