Mohammad Hamed Alshaer, who was born in Libya, has been charged with aggravated rape of a woman in her fifties while she was jogging along Ribersborgsstigen in Malmö on July 15.
According to the indictment submitted to Malmö District Court, the 37-year-old Alshaer struck the woman from behind, knocked her over, and dragged her into the bushes. There, he grabbed her neck and mouth, pulled her by the hair, and raped her vaginally and anally. The prosecutor wants the crime classified as rape with particular cruelty, citing exceptional violence, ruthlessness, and brutality.
Witnesses heard screams and thuds and alerted police. Officers arriving at the scene found a man lying half-undressed on top of a woman who was screaming for help.
The woman later told investigators she tried to wriggle free.
“I thought: I don’t accept this. I don’t give up,” she said, according to Swedish public broadcaster SVT. However, SVT and other Swedish outlets did not publish the suspect’s Libyan background and other key details, such as his name. Samnytt has reported on this information.
Alshaer has described the incident in terms similar to the woman’s account, with one major difference: he says the woman “inspired him” to have sex with her. He told police he had not had sex in several years and decided to “give her love.” After his arrest, he reportedly told officers he realized what he had done was wrong, yet he still denied the rape in court.
Alshaer, a Swedish citizen originally from Libya, has a prior conviction that includes sexual assault in a nightclub. However, since he holds Swedish citizenship, he cannot be deported. Despite obtaining citizenship, he requires an Arabic interpreter in court.
He is also charged with violent resistance and minor drug offenses. He denies the rape and the resistance charge but admits to the drug offense.
