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Death of Hanna Lalango

Sixteen-year-old Ethiopian schoolgirl Hanna Lalango died in November 2014 after being kidnapped and gang-raped in Addis Ababa, an attack that sparked nationwide outrage and the #JusticeForHanna movement.

SOLVED2014

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

3 SOURCESUPDATED JUL 2026
Illustrative

Hanna Lalango was a sixteen-year-old Ethiopian schoolgirl, one of six children, who attended a private high school in the Ayer Tena neighbourhood of Addis Ababa. On 1 October 2014, she reportedly left school around 4 p.m. local time and entered a share taxi that already had a couple of passengers inside.

Hanna was then kidnapped and held captive for several days. On 11 October 2014, she was found unconscious in an abandoned area in a suburb of the city, near Qeranyo, and was taken to hospital. In the days that followed, her family took her to various referral hospitals while waiting for her to be admitted for treatment. Among her injuries, Hanna suffered from a rectovaginal fistula. She reportedly identified three of the five suspects from her hospital bed before dying on 1 November 2014, nineteen days after she was found.

On 19 November 2014, police brought five suspects before the First Appearance Court in Addis Ababa for a hearing attended by journalists and women's rights groups. One suspect pleaded guilty while all five denied the allegations, with the defendants telling the court that their initial confessions had been obtained under duress. Police denied allegations of torturing the suspects and requested 14 days to conduct further investigation.

The final trial was heard the same month before the Third Criminal Bench of the Lideta Federal High Court. Two of the defendants, Samson Sileshi and Bezabhi G. Mariam, were convicted and sentenced to life in prison without parole. The remaining three defendants — Bekalu G. Medihin, Aphrem Ayele, and Temesgen Tsegaye — were convicted and sentenced to 17, 20, and 18 years in prison, respectively.

The extreme violence of the attack and the severity of Hanna's injuries caused widespread outrage in Addis Ababa, which found expression on social media. The case drew attention to how cultural attitudes may have facilitated this act of violence. Reaction spread across Facebook, and sustained protest activity took shape on Twitter under the hashtag #JusticeForHanna.

Key facts

Victims
Hanna Lalango
Date
2014
Location
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia
Case status
solved

Case timeline

  1. 2014-10-01

    Hanna Lalango leaves school around 4 p.m. and enters a share taxi; she is subsequently kidnapped.

  2. 2014-10-11

    Hanna is found unconscious in an abandoned area near Qeranyo, a suburb of Addis Ababa, and taken to hospital.

  3. 2014-11-01

    Hanna dies from her injuries, 19 days after being found.

  4. 2014-11-19

    Five suspects appear before the First Appearance Court in Addis Ababa; one pleads guilty while all five deny the allegations.

  5. 2014-11

    Final trial held before the Third Criminal Bench of the Lideta Federal High Court; sentences handed down.

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People

  • Bekalu G. Medihin

    CONVICTED

    Sentenced to 17 years in prison as the third defendant.

  • Aphrem Ayele

    CONVICTED

    Sentenced to 20 years in prison as the fourth defendant.

  • Hanna Lalango

    VICTIM

    16-year-old schoolgirl who died on 1 November 2014 from injuries sustained during a kidnapping and gang rape.

  • Bezabhi G. Mariam

    CONVICTED

    Sentenced to life in prison without parole by the Third Criminal Bench of the Lideta Federal High Court.

  • Temesgen Tsegaye

    CONVICTED

    Sentenced to 18 years in prison as the fifth defendant.

  • Samson Sileshi

    CONVICTED

    Sentenced to life in prison without parole by the Third Criminal Bench of the Lideta Federal High Court.

Roles reflect public records and court outcomes at the time of writing — supporting citations are on file under Sources.

Places

Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

9.0300, 38.7400

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Common questions

What happened to the victim?
Sixteen-year-old Ethiopian schoolgirl Hanna Lalango died in November 2014 after being kidnapped and gang-raped in Addis Ababa, an attack that sparked nationwide outrage and the #JusticeForHanna movement.
Where did the crime happen?
Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Who was convicted?
Bekalu G. Medihin (Sentenced to 17 years in prison as the third defendant.), Aphrem Ayele (Sentenced to 20 years in prison as the fourth defendant.), Bezabhi G. Mariam (Sentenced to life in prison without parole by the Third Criminal Bench of the Lideta Federal High Court.), Temesgen Tsegaye (Sentenced to 18 years in prison as the fifth defendant.), and Samson Sileshi (Sentenced to life in prison without parole by the Third Criminal Bench of the Lideta Federal High Court.).
What is the current status of the case?
Status: solved.
More cases in Ethiopia

Sources

  1. ENCYCLOPEDICDeath of Hanna LalangoWikipedia · 2026-07-07
  2. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — The GuardianThe Guardian · 2026-07-07
  3. PRESSContemporaneous coverage — ethioinfodesk.comethioinfodesk.com · 2026-07-07

Record history

First published
JUL 07, 2026

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