Somali National Army soldier Mohamed Hussein Elmi was arrested for raping a minor on May 14 this year in Wadajir district in the south-central Banaadir region of Somalia.
The SNA soldier was said to have raped four-year-old victim identified as Farhiya Abdi Shakur Botan.
Mohamed Hussein Elmi was handed over to the Armed Forces Tribunal and was later remanded in custody pending further investigation into his alleged involvement with the Criminal Investigation Department (CID).
The Office of the Prosecutor of the Armed Forces presented the case to the Court Martial after which a confession was filed. Mohamed Hussein Elmi was scheduled to be arraigned by the Military Court in early September and the court’s final hearing was concluded on the 24th of this month.
During the trial of Mohamed Hussein Elmi, the investigator of the case was heard and the Court shared with the victim’s affidavit.
The Defendant who was also given the opportunity to attend the hearing, reiterated that he was taking responsibility for the incident but could not answer why he had raped a neighbor’s girl adding that it was too late.
Mumin Hussein Abdullahi, the Deputy Attorney General of the Armed Forces asked the court to send a message in its ruling that no further act of rape should be perpetrated by any member of the Armed Forces.
Defendants’ attorneys argued that the defendant’s confession should not be held as a judgment and instead requested that the Court give them an opportunity to deal with the victim’s relatives.
Colonel Hassan Ali Nur Shuute, chairman of the Court of First Instance of the CQS has sentenced to death the accused Mohamed Hussein Elmi. Mohamed Hussein Elmi has the opportunity to appeal.
BY OSMAN HUSSEIN ALI
