Court sentenced five individuals in the gang rape & subsequent death of Hana Lalango

Mahlet Fasil

The Third Criminal Bench of the Lideta Federal High Court sentenced five individuals found guilty of the gang rape and subsequent death in September last year of Hana Lalango.

Accordingly the court sentenced the first and second defendants Samson Sileshi and Bezabhi G. Mariam to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The 3rd, 4th and 5th defendants, Bekalu G. Medihin, Aphrem Ayele and Temesgen Tsegaye have been sentenced to 17, 20 and 18 years in prison without the possibilities of parole.

 
Hanna Lalango, 16, was snatched from the taxi she took to go home after a long day in the school. The investigating police officer told this magazine at the time that Hanna was abducted by a gang of five who pretended to be commuters when she took the taxi. They then re-routed the taxi to take Hana to a hidden place where they gang raped her for ten solid days before she was found by her parents after she was abandoned. Hana died of her wounds just a few weeks later.

 
Hanna’s ordeal has received a far more public reaction than crimes of similar scale before. A Facebook page dedicated for Hanna was set up by activists and has attracted a wide acceptance. A twitter hashtag #JusticeForHanna was also trending since then.
Ethiopian social media users used the platform to express their frustrations at the failure of justice. The case was then brought to a court in Dec. last year where the hearings, not without eye opening glitches mostly related to insignificant judiciary delays, were taking place.