Garowe (Somalia Today) — A court in Somalia’s semi-autonomous Puntland state on Wednesday sentenced a man to 25 years in prison for the gang rape of two underage sisters, a landmark ruling in a region struggling with sexual and gender-based violence.
The First-Degree Court of the Nugaal region also ordered the defendant, Sharmarke Hussein Yusuf, 31, to pay a 25,000-dollar fine.
The verdict was delivered in Garowe, Puntland’s administrative capital, bringing closure to a case that has drawn national attention since the assault on May 11, 2025.
Relatives of the two victims, members of a low-income family in Garowe’s Booray neighborhood, welcomed the decision after a lengthy and public trial. The Puntland government had earlier condemned the attack and pledged to bring those responsible to justice.
A test for regional justice
The case has highlighted Puntland’s struggle to protect vulnerable women and children.
According to court documents, Yusuf was found guilty of sexually assaulting the two sisters, both minors at the time. The drawn-out investigation and trial sparked wide public debate across Somalia.
In an earlier statement, the Puntland government said it “strongly condemns such cruel acts targeting children and vulnerable people,” adding that all suspects would “face justice through the country’s judicial system.”
For many Somalis, Yusuf’s conviction represents a fulfillment of that promise.
Rights groups continue to warn about the scale of violence against women in Somalia. A July 2024 report by the UK Home Office described sexual and gender-based violence as widespread and frequently under-reported, citing stigma and weak institutional support as barriers to justice.
While the Puntland ruling is seen as a step toward accountability, systemic challenges persist. Somalia’s justice system remains under-resourced and often relies on traditional, clan-based mechanisms that can fail to protect victims’ rights.
The conviction also comes after a series of similar brutal attacks in the region. Local courts have issued mixed verdicts in past cases, but activists say impunity remains a serious problem.
