Two men convicted of kidnapping, raping, murdering, and mutilating the remains of a 12 year old girl in Somalia have been executed by firing squad in what the government called a clear warning to others. The killing of Aisha Ilyes Aden back in 2016 caused mass protests calling for the government to do more in protecting women against violence, which has historically been ignored by the Somali government until recently.
Puntland, the region where the executions took place, was the first in the country to criminalize rape in 2016.
Human and women’s rights activists say that rape victims that survive the assault are often forced to marry the attacker or are punished for having premarital sex.