A 20-year-old Danish woman, using the pseudonym Rumeya, has shared her harrowing experience of being trapped in a re-education program in Kenya and Somalia for four and a half years. Her father was sentenced to 10 years in prison in 2023 for the crimes committed against Rumeya and her younger brother during this period, including violence, rape, and forced marriage.
The ordeal began when Rumeya’s father, displeased that she was becoming too Danish and abandoning her Muslim faith, planned a trip to Kenya under the guise of a beach vacation. However, the trip quickly turned into a nightmare where Rumeya was subjected to physical and sexual abuse, including rape, forced circumcision, and a forced marriage.
In September 2021, Rumeya found an opportunity to call her mother in Denmark using her stepmother’s phone. During this call, she revealed the horrors she had endured, prompting her mother to promise to help her escape. This led to a daring escape where Rumeya, along with her younger brother, fled the house and were eventually transported to Ethiopia with the help of her mother’s relatives.
After three months on the run, Rumeya and her brother were finally able to board a plane to Dubai and then to Copenhagen, where they were reunited with their mother and placed in a residential institution. Upon returning to Denmark, Rumeya faced the challenges of recounting her experiences to authorities, undergoing physical examinations, and adjusting to a new life.
Despite the support she received, Rumeya also faced pressure from family members to retract her accusations against her father. However, the court upheld the guilty verdict, sentencing her father to ten years in prison, the longest sentence ever given in Denmark for a case involving re-education trips.
Today, Rumeya is working towards a brighter future, aiming to complete her education and become a role model for others who have experienced similar abuse. She dreams of raising awareness about re-education and circumcision to ensure that her experiences are not in vain.