Outrage in Ethiopia over lenient sentence in child rape-murder case

The brutal rape and murder of seven-year-old Heaven Awot in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, has ignited widespread anger across the nation, with many decrying the 25-year prison sentence handed to her attacker as woefully inadequate.

According to a BBC report Monday, Heaven Awot was sexually assaulted, mutilated, and killed by her mother’s landlord, Getnet Baye, in August last year. The case has gained renewed attention after Baye launched an appeal, prompting fears he might secure an early release.

Awot’s mother, Abekyelesh Adeba, shared her anguish with the BBC, saying, “I have lost my Heaven… I am lifeless.”

She, like many others, believes that justice has not been served.

More than 200,000 people have signed an online petition demanding a harsher sentence for Baye.

According to the report, the Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association condemned the sentence as “very light,” stating, “The murder by itself should have been enough to sentence him to life imprisonment or to death… It’s especially sickening and outrageous when such a horrendous crime is committed against children.”

Senior government officials have joined the criticism.

Minister for Women and Social Affairs Ergogie Tesfaye described the crime as “inhumane” on her Facebook page, vowing that her office would work to ensure justice is served.

The case has ignited a broader conversation about the safety of women and girls in Ethiopia. A May report from Human Rights Watch highlighted alarming levels of conflict-related sexual violence in the country, pointing to a lack of accountability for perpetrators as a key factor.

Awot’s story reflects the ongoing violence in Ethiopia, exacerbated by the country’s two-year conflict in the Tigray region. Her father, an ethnic Tigrayan, was imprisoned during the conflict and later fled to Tigray, leaving Adeba to care for Heaven and her younger sister alone.

Adeba never suspected danger from her landlord, who lived in the same compound. On the day of the attack, Awot’s aunt was babysitting when the girl went to the bathroom and never returned. Hours later, Adeba’s mutilated body was found outside her home.

In the months following the attack, Adeba faced additional trauma. She was forced into hiding after Baye escaped custody during a raid by local Amhara militias.

“If our children can’t be safe in our homes, where else can we go? Should we stop work and spend all our time with them? How can we feed them?” she asked.

As a health worker, Adeba is painfully aware that Heaven’s case is not isolated.

“I know there are so many Heavens,” she told the BBC, underscoring the need for stronger protections and harsher penalties for violent crimes against children.

As the October appeal date approaches, there is tension in Ethiopia as the country waits to see the outcome.