Puntland Police apprehend 75 people in relation with rape and murder of 11-year-old boy

75 people have been apprehended in connection with an 11-year-old boy’s rape and murder in Galkacyo town.

According to Police Officer Samatar Abdullahi Awkah, the unfortunate tragedy occurred in an internally displaced persons camp, where the victim’s family resided.

The officer emphasized that everyone in the area of the crime scene has been held, and he promised that the criminals would face justice as investigations continue.

The Puntland Agency for DNA Forensic Science is scheduled to announce its results in the coming hours, according to sources.

In a similar case from 2020, the Puntland area of northern Somalia killed two men, Abdifatah Abdirahman Warsame, 24, and Abdishakur Mohamed Dige, 46, for raping and murdering 12-year-old Aisha Ilyas Aden.

In February 2019, the girl was taken near her house, gang raped, and sadly murdered in the town of Galkayo. The two men were killed by firing squad in the town of Bosaso. 

Aisha’s story cause for justice reverberated across Somali public , abroad and home  as thousands choregraphed the hashtag #JusticeForAisha, calling on Puntland government for a proper investigation into the murder and rape of the girl.

Recent report by Somali humanitarian workers and United Nations officials said women and girls in displaced camps are facing gender-based violence and rape amid the recurring droughts in the country.

Physical violence, intimate partner violence (IPV) and rape are the most common types of violence that women and girls are subjected to in displaced communities, according to data gathered by United Nation Population Fund