Death of Hanna Lalango
Incident
Hanna Lalango, 16, died on Nov. 1, from a brutal gang rape after five men kidnapped and held her captive for several days in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa. Hanna attended a private high school in the city’s Ayer Tena neighborhood.[1]
On Oct. 1, Hanna reportedly left school around 4 p.m. local time and got on a taxi that already had a couple of passengers.
A few days later, the suspects left Hanna to die in an abandoned area in the outskirts of the city. Hanna was found unconscious on Oct. 11 and taken to hospital. For the next few days the family spent going between various referral hospitals and waiting to be admitted. Among other injuries, Hanna suffered from fistula and lost her battle 19 days after she was found. She reportedly identified three of the five suspects from her hospital bed.[2]
Trial
On Nov. 19, police brought five suspects before the First Appearance Court in Addis Ababa, according to local reports. During a hearing attended by journalists and women right’s groups, one of the suspects pleaded innocence and all five denied the allegations, telling the court their initial confessions were obtained under duress. The police denied torturing the suspects and asked for 14 days to conduct further investigation.
References
- ^ "Hana Lalango Ethiopia Brutal Gang Rape Kidnapping". Aljazeera.
- ^ "Justice For Hanna Gang Rape Victim". Ethio Info Desk.