Somaliland Appeal Court sentences Qur’an teacher to 14 years for child sexual abuse
Somaliland’s Togdheer Appeal Court has sentenced a Burco Qur’an teacher to 14 years in prison for child sexual abuse, overturning an earlier acquittal. The ruling sparked mixed reactions, with parents welcoming the decision while Qur’an teacher associations protested, alleging reputational targeting.
The Togdheer Appeal Court in Somaliland has sentenced Mohamed Jaamac Hassan, a Qur’an school teacher from Burao, to 14 years in prison after finding him guilty of sexually assaulting children under his instruction. The ruling overturns an earlier decision by the Togdheer regional court, which had acquitted him before prosecutors filed an appeal leading to a full reassessment of the evidence.
The verdict, issued on Monday, was welcomed by some parents in Burao, who described it as a vital step toward accountability for abuses committed under the guise of religious teaching. However, the umbrella association representing Qur’an teachers in Somaliland staged a protest in Burco, rejecting the ruling and claiming a campaign is underway to tarnish the reputation of Qur’an instructors.
The association called on President Abdirahman Irro to intervene, saying the allegations threaten the dignity and security of religious educators, while prosecutors have not commented on the teachers’ complaint.
