BBC: Outcry at sentence for Ethiopian man who raped and killed girl of 7
Posted: 19 Aug 2024, 19:53
Warning: This article contains distressing detail about rape and sexual assault
The brutal rape and murder of a seven-year-old girl has sparked outrage in Ethiopia, with many saying the sentence given to her attacker is too lenient.
Heaven Awot was sexually assaulted, mutilated and killed by her mother’s landlord Getnet Baye last August in the north-western city of Bahir Dar in Amhara region.
Getnet was sentenced to 25 years in prison. The case attracted widespread attention after he recently launched an appeal, and the case is now adjourned until October.
The mother of the girl, Abekyelesh Adeba, tells the BBC that losing her child has left her feeling "lifeless".
More than 200,000 people have so far signed an online petition demanding a review of the sentencing "to reflect the gravity of the crime" and to offer support for the grieving mother.
One of the largest women’s rights advocacy groups in the country, the Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association (EWLA), released a statement saying they believe the sentencing was "very light", adding "the murder by itself should have been enough to sentence him to life imprisonment or to death… It’s specially sickening and outrageous when such a horrendous crime is committed against children."
Senior government officials have joined the chorus of criticism, with Minister for Women and Social Affairs Ergogie Tesfaye writing on her Facebook page that the crimes committed against Heaven were "inhumane" and saying her office would pursue the case with stakeholders.
The brutal attack has triggered heated discussions about the safety of vulnerable women and young girls in Ethiopia.
According to a report released in May by Human Rights Watch, conflict-related sexual violence "has reached alarming levels in Ethiopia".
The lack of accountability for perpetrators is seen by some as one contributing factor for its prevalence.
Thousands of women and young girls are reported to have been raped during a devastating two-year war in Tigray, the country’s northernmost region.
Before being raped and killed, Heaven saw the breaking up of her family because of that war.
Her father, an ethnic Tigrayan, was imprisoned for months at the height of the conflict. He was never charged.
When he was released, he left Amhara - where he felt there was still hostility and suspicions towards him - for Tigray.
