Metro

A Syrian asylum seeker ‘pushed a 91-year-old widow down the stairs and robbed her while she was visiting her husband’s grave

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Karam Kanjo, 26, is going to be deported from Sweden. He was caught on CCTV pushing a 91-year-old woman down a staircase in Sollentuna station, near Stockholm, Sweden.

Kanjo came to Sweden in 2015 during Europe’s migrant crisis. He was already on parole for a previous crime—raping a woman. The CCTV footage shows him attacking the elderly woman as she was heading to her husband’s grave on August 29.

In the video, Kanjo grabs the woman, causing both to fall down the stairs. He then stands up, takes her necklaces, and leaves her on the ground as two women come to help.

The woman told detectives she was terrified and had never been attacked like that before.

Kanjo was sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison for aggravated robbery and other offenses, including violating Sweden’s knife laws and a drug-related charge. He was also ordered to pay her damages and will be deported back to Syria after serving his sentence.

Kanjo has committed at least 19 crimes since moving to Sweden in 2015, including aggravated theft in 2018 and attempted aggravated theft in 2020. He was previously sentenced to prison for raping a woman in 2021 but was released on parole before finishing his term.

A judge commented that the elderly victim was lucky not to suffer more serious injuries due to the violence used against her, especially given her age.

Swedish authorities said Kanjo has little connection to Sweden, and he will be banned from returning after his deportation. This decision is part of stricter immigration policies under Sweden’s current government.

Nima Gholam Ali Pour, a Swedish politician and former Iranian refugee, stated that Sweden has faced challenges with immigration, with some areas becoming almost entirely immigrant-populated. He explained that many Swedes don’t want their country to be overwhelmed and feel that Sweden should focus on integrating existing immigrants before taking in more.