Public outraged over ‘light sentence’ handed to a landlord who raped and murdered tenant’s 7-year-old daughter in the the Amhara region of Ethiopia

Heaven Awot, 7, was brutally sexually assaulted, strangled and mutilated by her mother’s landlord Getnet Baye in Bahir Dar, Amhara Region, Ethiopia in Aug 2023

Getnet Baye, found guilty of the murder in Bahir Dar, and sentenced on Aug 14, 2023, has indicted that he will appeal the verdict

Baye was sentenced last week to 25 years in prison following his conviction, but many believe the punishment is too lenient for the severity of the crime

“I have lost my Heaven… I am lifeless,” Abekyelesh Adeba, a health worker says after losing her daughter. She now fears that justice may not be served if Baye’s planned appeal succeeds *

Adeba’s grief and fears may have been informed by the earlier incidence of Baye’s escape from custody, following a break-in by local militias

For nearly a month, the suspect evaded capture, threatening Adeba, who was forced to move frequently due to fear

Heaven Awot, 7, was brutally sexually assaulted, mutilated and killed by her mother’s landlord Getnet Baye in Bahir Dar, Amhara Region, Ethiopia in August 2024

The brutal rape and murder of a seven-year-old girl in Ethiopia has ignited widespread outrage, with many expressing dissatisfaction with the sentence handed down to her attacker. By Wednesday, over 240,000 people had signed an online petition condemning the 25-year prison sentence given to the man convicted of killing Heaven Awot last year, deeming it far too lenient.
Heaven Awot, a seven-year-old girl was brutally sexually assaulted, mutilated and killed by her mother’s landlord, Getnet Baye, in Bahir Dar, Amhara Region, Ethiopia in August 2023.
Ethiopia’s Minister for Women and Social Affairs, Ergogie Tesfaye, described the crime as “horrible and inhumane” in a Facebook post, pledging that her ministry would closely monitor the case through judicial channels.
Getnet Baye, found guilty of the murder in Bahir Dar, the capital of the Amhara region, is reportedly planning to appeal the verdict, though the exact date of the ruling remains unspecified by Ethiopian media.
Local media report that the Bahir Dar High Court determined that Awot’s death resulted from the violent assault and strangulation inflicted by her adult assailant, Baye, during the attack, given her young age and inability to resist.

Public sentiment is that the 25 year sentence is to light considering the gravity of the crime committed by pedophile Getnet Baye

More than 240,000 people signed an online petition on Wednesday, August 21, protesting against the 25-year prison sentence meted out to a man convicted of raping and killing 7-year-old Heaven Awot in an attack last year.
Getnet Baye was sentenced last week to 25 years in prison for his actions but many believe the punishment is too lenient for the severity of the crime. 
Heaven was attacked by her mother’s landlord, Getnet, in August 2023 in Bahir Dar, Amhara region. 
Following his sentencing last week, Getnet has announced plans to appeal. The case has been adjourned until October 2024. 
An online petition calling for a harsher sentence and expressing support for Adeba, to date has been signed by over 240,000 people. 

The horrendous rape and murder of little Heaven’s Awot has ignited a broader debate about the safety of women and girls in Ethiopia

The Ethiopian Women Lawyers Association [EWLA], condemned the 25-year sentence as “very light,” suggesting capital punishment would be more appropriate given the nature of the crime and the victim’s age.  EWLA stated that murder in such cases should be met with life imprisonment or even the death penalty, both of which are permissible under Ethiopian law.
Government officials, including Minister for Women and Social Affairs Ergogie Tesfaye, have also criticized the ruling, calling the crime “inhumane” and promising to address the issue. 
Heaven’s death has ignited a broader debate about the safety of women and girls in Ethiopia. 

“I have lost my Heaven… I am lifeless,” Abekyelesh Adeba, a health worker says after losing her daughter. She now fears that justice may not be served if Baye’s planned appeal succeeds 

A recent Human Rights Watch report highlighted an increase in sexual violence linked to the ongoing conflict in the Tigray region.  Awot’s family had been affected by the Tigray conflict, with her father imprisoned and then fleeing to Tigray. 
Her mother had trusted her landlord, but this trust was betrayed when Heaven was attacked while in the care of her aunt. Her mutilated body was later found outside their home, showing clear signs of strangulation. 
Fearful and frustrated at the same time Heaven Awot’s mother, Abekyelesh Adeba, said after losing her daughter: “I have lost my Heaven… I am lifeless,” Adeba, a health worker, said..
Adeba’s grief was compounded by Baye’s escape from custody, following a break-in by local militias. 
For nearly a month the suspect eluded capture, threatening Adeba, who was forced to move frequently due to fear. 
She now fears that justice may not be served if Baye’s appeal succeeds.