Photo: Sharia and the stoning of women in Iran

Radhika Coomaraswamy, Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed conflict, has strongly condemned the stoning to death of a 13-year-old Somali girl in the name of punishing her for “adultery.”

According to UNICEF, Aisha Duhulow was stoned to death in a stadium in Dismayo on 27 October 2008 after local leaders accused her of adultery.

According to reports, she was raped by three men while going on foot to her grandmother in Mogadishu. When she sought protection from local leaders, they stoned her to death accusing her of a sexual crime.

Coomaraswamy stated, “The incident highlights the extreme nature of violence against children and women in Somalia, which has been heightened by the increasing lawlessness.”

Coomaraswamy also pointed out that more children were being killed and maimed everyday in military operations in Somalia. She stressed, “It is the duty of the international community and the local authorities to stop these violations and to ensure better protection for children. No efforts should be spared.”

first published in www.groundreport.com