A Swedish appeals court’s decision not to deport a convicted rapist because his attack on a 16-year-old girl was not deemed “exceptionally serious” has sparked outrage and a backlash against Sweden’s justice system.
The ruling led to a swift condemnation from Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, who released a statement video promising stricter deportation laws. “No one should have to worry about meeting their attacker or rapist on the street,” Kristersson said. “Those who commit serious crimes in Sweden and are not Swedish citizens must leave the country.”
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Swedish Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson attends a press conference on Sweden’s NATO bid on Tuesday, January 24, 2023, in Stockholm, Sweden. Nearly two years after Sweden formally signed up to join NATO, its membership now depends on convincing one country, Viktor Orbán’s Hungary, to formally ratify its bid to join the military alliance. (Pontus Lundahl/TT News Agency via AP, File)
Kristersson vowed to introduce “the strictest legislation in all the Nordic countries”, saying any crime carrying more than a fine could lead to deportation. “With these new, stricter rules, six times as many people are expected to be deported. We are going further than any government has ever done before.”
Migration Minister Johan Forssell echoed the Prime Minister’s sentiment in a video he posted on X, calling the case unacceptable. “The victim’s right to safety must always outweigh the perpetrator’s right to remain in Sweden,” he said. “Next year I will present new legislation that will make Sweden the strictest country in the Nordic region when it comes to crime-related deportations.”
“We must also review the international treaties that have so far made it more difficult to carry out necessary deportations.
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An exterior view of the Stockholm District Court in Stockholm, Sweden, is seen on October 15, 2024. Yezied Mohamed was not tried at this court, but at the Court of Appeal for North Norrland. (Jonathan Klein/AFP via Getty Images)
The court initially acquitted him, accepting that rape had occurred, but found insufficient evidence that he was the perpetrator. On appeal, the Court of Appeal overturned that ruling, concluding that Mohamed matched the description given by the victim and a witness, and that forensic evidence placed him near the crime scene.
The court sentenced him to three years in prison, the minimum for rape in Sweden, and ordered him to pay compensation of 240,000 Swedish krona, about $25,600. It ruled that while the crime was serious, it was not “of such an exceptionally serious nature” to warrant deportation under refugee protection. One judge disagreed and found he should be deported.
The decision attracted global attention after social media posts claimed Mohamed avoided deportation because the rape “lasted less than ten minutes.” Although there is no specific time frame in the judgment, the court confirmed that duration was a factor in its assessment.
“The judges themselves determined which aspects of the crime were relevant and whether they were sufficiently serious to justify deportation,” said Peterson. “That makes this statement so controversial.”
Elon Musk shared a tweet that has been viewed almost 10 million times, criticizing the Swedish legal system’s leniency towards migrants. (Nathan Howard/Reuters)
A post by Swedish commentator Evelina Hahne, viewed nearly 10 million times and shared by Elon Musk, accused Sweden’s courts of leniency towards migrants and reignited a nationwide debate on crime and immigration.
Peterson said the case highlights a broader problem: Sweden’s problems deporting migrants even after serious convictions.
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“In Sweden it is very difficult to deport migrants, even those convicted of serious crimes,” he said. “This case became symbolic because people feel it shows how the system protects perpetrators better than victims.”
He noted similar cases, including the 2016 murder of Elin Krantz, a young woman killed by an Ethiopian man with a resident permit, and recent reports of rapes in retirement homes involving foreign-born workers.
A police car in Stockholm, Sweden on May 1, 2021. (Nils Petter Nilsson/Getty Images)
“It was only after the right-wing coalition took power in 2022 that meaningful reforms began to take shape,” Peterson said. “Previously, the issue was considered too politically sensitive.”
Sill, he says, “Sweden has not joined a Danish-Italian initiative within the European Union to reform the European Convention on Human Rights, which critics say limits the ability to deport convicted offenders. Denmark, Italy and Austria have signed on; Sweden has not.”
As public anger grows, the Swedish government is under pressure to implement stricter policies.
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