Hargeisa (SD) – The Marodijeh Regional Court of Appeal has today ruled in the appeal case of Awo Harir Rage rape verdict, a 14-year-old girl who was raped inside an orphanage in Hargeisa.

Two of the defendants in the case have been initially sentenced to three years in prison, while the other five have been sentenced to six months of house arrest.

Awo’s relatives and Somalis around the world were deeply saddened by the court’s decision, leading to the appeal.

Of the seven men charged in the rape case, two were sentenced to eight years in prison, while the other five were sentenced to three years in prison, in the new ruling from the appeal court.

In addition, the court ruled that Awo Harir Rage suffers from growth issues an is in fact a minor.

The victims family have not yet commented on the appeal court’s latest ruling.