Horndiplomat-Somaliland President Muse biihi finally signed the long-awaited Rape and Sexual Offences Bill. From today the Bill got into a law in Somaliland. Horndiplomat Reports
On April 7, 2018, Somaliland Upper House “Guurti” approves legislation outlawing rape Under the new law, all forms of sexual offences would be criminalized, including rape, gang rape, sexual assault, child marriage and trafficking.
Meanwhile, On 29 July Somaliland’s House of Representatives voted against amendments made by House of elders. 27 voted against the Guurt’s limitation to report the rape and sexual offence cases within 48hrs, 3Mp’s voted for Guurti’s limitation, 11MP’s abstained.
In the past, a victim’s family could force them to marry their rapist to avoid being shamed.
Rapists now stand to face at least 30 years in prison.
However, The agenda ofsexual offences has been widely addressed in the form of raising public awareness, outsourcing capacity development on its activism, victim’s service provision, monitoring and documentation of the nature and characteristics of sexual offences, and is finally researching on the legal gaps as well as enforcement issues. The information generated from these works has finally resulted in engaging activities and evidence based advocacy to reform the criminal justice system.
Currently, the outdated Penal Code adopted following after the independence in 1962 describes offences and penalties involving sexual violence under three articles only. However, it has not been able to reflect upon the contemporary values in relations to protections from the increasingly reported rape incidents, including gang rapes which, in 2016, the office of the prosecutor indicated more than 100 of such case prosecuted in Somaliland courts.
Somaliland declared its independence nearly three decades ago from Somalia, but despite having its own currency, parliament, military and legal system The territory has been experiencing stability and economic prosperity and has been influential in the fight against piracy and terrorism in the Horn of Africa.
