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Uproar as Swedish Court Blocks Deportation of Eritrean Refugee Convicted of Raping Teen, Cites “Short Duration” of Assault
A Swedish appellate court has refused to deport 18-year-old Eritrean refugee Yazied Mohamed, who was convicted of raping 16-year-old Meya Åberg, arguing that the attack was not “exceptionally serious” because of its short duration.
According to Visegrád Report, the assault occurred on September 1, 2024, after Meya missed her bus home and decided to walk through a pedestrian tunnel following her shift at McDonald’s. The teenager and her family immediately reported the incident, leading to Mohamed’s arrest.
He was sentenced to three years in prison for rape, but prosecutors also sought his deportation. The Court of Appeal for Upper Norrland, however, rejected that request, noting that Mohamed holds refugee status and that Swedish law only allows deportation of refugees if the crime is deemed “exceptionally serious” and poses a “serious threat to public order and safety.”
In its ruling, the court wrote:
“Rape is, in many cases, considered an exceptionally serious offense that could lead to the deportation of a refugee, but an assessment must be made based on all circumstances in the individual case. Given the nature and duration of the offense in question, the Court of Appeal finds that while the crime is serious, it does not constitute an exceptionally serious offense that would warrant a deportation order for Yazied Mohamed. The request for deportation is therefore rejected.”
The decision has provoked widespread outrage, with critics describing it as another example of Sweden’s overly lenient approach toward offenders with refugee status.