Horror injuries of Swedish widow, 91, mugged by Syrian asylum seeker

A 91-year-old grandmother mugged by a Syrian asylum seeker has bravely revealed she was 'so terrified' during the attack that she 'couldn't scream'.

Christa Ohlsson was shoved down a flight of stairs by suspected rapist Karam Kanjo, 26 - who has denied involvement - in a violent attack that has reignited Sweden's debate over migration.

Shocking pictures show the extent of her injuries – deep cut marks to her neck and throat, as well as horrific bruises down her arms and legs as she fell down the stairs after being shoved by Kanjo who was jailed for five years and now faces deportation over the callous attack.

Bravely describing her ordeal, Ms Ohlsson said in a statement: 'I couldn't understand what was happening. I was so terrified; I closed my eyes, and I couldn't scream.

'I remember someone coming from behind and grabbing my two necklaces and then suddenly I was on the floor, and I was falling down the stairs, it was all happening so quickly.

'I lost my hearing aid in the fall so I couldn't hear anything, but I felt around on the floor and found it, the man was standing over me and yanking at my necklaces, it was so violent my head and back were off the floor.'

Mrs Ohlsson, who had been on her way to visit her late husband's grave, fell down nine concrete steps in the attack. It emerged in recent weeks that Kanjo – who arrived in Sweden during the 2015 migrant crisis – was on parole for rape.

Kanjo had been jailed for two years six months in 2021 but had been released in late 2022 following the sex attack, which also happened in Sollentuna and his lengthy record of previous convictions includes theft and drug possession.

Mrs Ohlsson told the Attunda district court: 'I couldn't swallow properly for a few days and could only eat soup as my throat hurt so much.

'I didn't really see the person who attacked me, it was all so quick, I just remember feeling the two necklaces go tight and then they were snatched off me. I was on my way to visit my husband's grave when it happened.'

Mrs Ohlsson said of the robbery which took place at Sollentuna railway station on the outskirts of Stockholm last August that the two stolen necklaces were 50th birthday presents from her husband and were gold – with one having a pendant holding a photograph of her and him – and were valued at 107,000 Swedish Kroner.

Police have searched pawn shops and gold dealers across Stockholm since the robbery but have so far not found the necklaces which Mrs Ohlsson said were 'heirlooms and memories' of her husband.

She added the attack had left her 'terrified' and 'scared to go out' but slowly she had begun to get her confidence back and she was starting to 'use the train again but not at night'.

Mrs Ohlsson said:' The attack left me stressed and I couldn't sleep properly for a long time, my daughter came to stay with me for a while and at first, I said I would never catch the train again.

'I turned down a birthday invitation as well because I was too scared to go out but now, I am starting to feel OK again, although my knee and hip still hurt a bit from the bruises, especially when I walk.

'I was also left wondering whether someone was watching me, how did they know I had these two necklaces? I also thought I would never go out walking alone by myself again and whenever I hear a strange noise now, I get scared.'

CCTV footage shown in court and obtained by MailOnline shows the man alleged to be Kanjo entering Sollentuna railway station dressed in a green jacket and distinctive bright blue Adidas trainers at 10.06am on August 29.

For the next 71 minutes, he is seen acting suspiciously pacing along platforms and at 11.19 cameras pick him up as he walks behind Mrs Ohlsson in an underpass at the station.

He is seen following behind her as she walks up the stairs to catch a train to the cemetery where her husband is buried before running in front of her and trying to snatch the necklaces.

A fellow commuter looks on horrified and steps out of the way as the attacker and his helpless victim tumble down the stairs with, him initially sitting on the floor trying to yank the heirlooms before standing over her violently tugging at them.

Less than a minute after the attack he is seen running off along an underpass before turning back to pick up his mobile phone that fell out of his pocket and is clearly seen on the floor in one image.

At no point does he check on his victim and as he makes his escape, he pushes another woman out of the way before running away only to be eventually arrested five days later at a nearby hostel after detectives recognised him from the CCTV.

During questioning Kanjo denied any involvement in the robbery telling officers:' Do you think God only made one person who looks like me?'

To which the officer replied:' I can't answer that, but you are wearing blue Adidas trainers and a green jacket that are identical to clothing we found in photographs on your mobile phone.'

At one point he even brazenly told police: 'If I had seen someone attacking an old lady like that, I would have intervened myself, it's not me you want, I didn't do anything.'

During the court case, prosecutor Susanne Rassam described the attack as 'extremely brutal and violent' and that Kanjo had 'ruthlessly exploited his victim's vulnerability and defencelessness'.

Documents shown in court showed no sizeable deposits in Kanjo's bank account following the theft – with the only credit being 1030 Kroner in benefits from Sweden's social security system.

It later emerged that Kanjo was not initially deported following his 2021 conviction for rape as he had been in the country for six years and when told by the court following his latest conviction, he would be sent back to Syria, he claimed he would 'be tortured'.

In 2019 a Swedish Supreme Court decision ruled that there must be 'extraordinary reasons' to deport a person who had lived longer than four years in the country.

Kanjo was convicted of aggravated robbery and possession of drugs and knives – found in his hotel room after his arrest – with the judge ruling he had a 'very weak' connection to Sweden as he ruled, he would be kicked out after completing his sentence.

Speaking outside her home, Mrs Ohlsson's son-in-law told MailOnline:' She's doing better now but she doesn't want to speak with anyone else about what happened.

'She explained it all in court and it was very tough for her, especially the first few weeks after it happened, she was really traumatised, she couldn't eat and my wife was with her for a few days but now she is starting to get her life back together, she is brave and will move on.'