Reports of rape continue to climb in Somalia in recent months.
Police: Hamdi Mohamed Farah, 19, was allegedly gang raped, thrown off a six-story building and killed in Mogadishu, Somalia. Eleven suspects have been arrested.
“We have arrested 11 people over the recent rape case in Wabari neighborhood in Mogadishu and efforts to track and identify other suspects are ongoing,” police stated.
Fight For Justice
“There is no justice in the country. Our people are killed. We need justice.” — family of Farah.
“The Ministry of Women and Human Rights Development is outraged by the reported gang-rape and murder of 19-year-old Mohamed Farah in Waberi district of Mogadishu on (Sept. 11). The Ministry condemns this horrendous crime in the strongest terms possible.” — Ministry of Women and Human Rights Development.
“Rape & sexual offenses against women are acts that have recently become rampant in our society. We have to collectively confront this kind of crime and reject it with one voice,” — Abdirahman Abdishakur, leader of the Wadajir Party in Somalia.
“I and other religious leaders are demanding of the government that it should conduct a serious investigation into this rape case – Hamdi and her family need justice.” — Sheikh Bashir Ahmed Salad, chairman of Somalia’s religious council.
“The rising cases of gruesome rape and killing of our young girls and boys is not only unacceptable but shameful. These incidents are heinous and are against our Islamic and human rights law.” — Ilyas Ali Hassan, Somali senator.
“In Somalia, I am alarmed by an increase in reports of sexual violence against women, girls and boys, with minimal investigation.” — Michelle Bachelet, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights.
“Time To Tackle Sexual Abuse”
“In the Horn of Africa and elsewhere the daily litany of human wrongs involving crimes of sexual abuse and domestic violence is both shocking and utterly depressing . . . the vast majority of crimes that involve sexual assault and domestic violence go largely unreported. Whilst concrete evidence is hard to come by, enough is known to understand that the problem is widespread, and all too often not taken seriously by communities and multiple agencies . . . ” — Somaliland Current.
Somaliland Current Identifies Key Factors Compounding Issue of Sexual Assault
- Survivors feel that they must suffer in silence, fearing the possibility of bringing shame to their family by speaking out. Perpetrators take advantage of this stigma and continue to violate girls.
“A family or community’s desire to protect its supposed goodname leads to a conspiracy of silence . . . primary consideration should be about protecting the victim and safeguarding others who might fall prey to acts of sexual violence and domestic abuse.”
2. Many survivors in Africa are located in remote areas, where support services are difficult to access. Rape often goes unreported in remote areas.
“Individuals are extremely vulnerable in remote camps, or in situations where they are required to venture off in search of firewood and water.”
3. Police Lack Training Needed To Handle Crimes Of Sexual Assault. The officers, who are mostly men, aren’t comfortable to talk about sensitive subjects such as rape.
Somalia Sees Increase In Sex Crimes In recent months
Via VOA– Two soldiers in Somalia were executed last month after they confessed to raping an 11-year-old boy, authorities said. Liban Hassan Amin, 29, and Farhan Abdulkadir Abdi, 23, were held at a detention center, before a 14-member security council approved their execution.
March 29 — Two girls, ages 3 and 4, abducted and raped in a field, needed multiple surgeries after suffering injuries during the attack.
April 7— Two females, ages 30 and 13, were raped while returning to their rural village.
May 14 — a 4-year-old girl was raped in the capital, Mogadishu. Officials described the assault as a brutal attack.
Sources:
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/africa/somalia-11-held-for-rape-murder-of-teen-student/1974491
https://www.voanews.com/africa/2-somali-soldiers-executed-firing-squad-rape-boy
Recent Comments