The Danish police have admitted serious mistakes in a case involving four sisters living under new identities after years of abuse by their parents. The reopened case has raised new criticism of how the justice system protects vulnerable victims.
Police Admit Failure to Protect Threatened Sisters
Mid and West Zealand Police now acknowledge that significant errors were made in the case of 20-year-old Sara Johanne Jensen and her three sisters. The four young women have been living under protection after their Syrian parents were convicted of violent abuse but repeatedly managed to track them down.
For years the sisters requested police protection orders, but their requests were rejected. Only after Sara spoke publicly on national TV did the police change their position. The case has reignited debate about systemic shortcomings within the Danish justice system.
Parents Convicted of Years of Violence
Sara’s parents, Afaf Mustafa Almustafa and Farouk Mahmoud Bali, were sentenced in 2022 to eighteen months in prison and expelled from Denmark for twelve years. The court found them guilty of repeated physical and psychological violence against their four daughters.
The abuse included beatings, kicking, burning with lighters, and forcing the girls to rub chili on their tongues. According to court documents and risk assessments, the parents also threatened to kill their children. The parents deny all wrongdoing and currently live at Kærshovedgård departure center because Denmark does not forcibly return people to Syria.
Despite strict restrictions from both the child welfare authorities and the national intelligence service PET, the parents continued to find ways to locate the girls, forcing them to move several times for safety.
Police Acknowledge Misjudgment and Gaps in Knowledge
Chief Police Inspector Peter Buhl has admitted that officers initially misjudged how to handle the case. A request for a restraining order was refused last year due to a misunderstanding of the law. Officers feared that the parents could gain insight into which district the daughters lived in, but they did not know it is legal to issue protection orders through another police district to shield victims.
Buhl said that procedure has now been corrected and that the case has been reopened. He described the matter as deeply regrettable but emphasized that police handling of such sensitive cases has improved in recent years.
Experts Call Situation “Extremely Serious”
Criminologists and policing experts describe the episode as one of the most serious examples of institutional neglect in recent memory. They say the sisters were forced to go public because other channels failed to act. Experts argue that the situation exposes major structural problems in Danish policing, especially when handling high-risk abuse cases involving women and children.
They point out that similar mistakes have appeared in other cases, where files were closed prematurely or responses delayed. Several specialists say the authorities clearly had enough evidence to issue a restraining order years earlier.
Youngest Sister Repeatedly Forced to Move
The family’s youngest daughter, now seven, has moved seven times in four years. Her former foster family reported an attempted abduction after the biological parents appeared at her school in July 2025. The girl was moved again to a secure residence with limited contact to her siblings.
The foster mother said she repeatedly asked police for a restraining order but never received a response. Without such protection, it is not a punishable offense for the parents to attempt contact.
In October the parents told TV2 that they would respect Danish law if given a restraining order. Experts argue this statement highlights the gap between what the law can do and how it is enforced.
System Under Scrutiny
Following the public attention, police have reopened the case and are reviewing how it was handled across multiple districts. Authorities also promise to strengthen training for investigators dealing with domestic violence and family abuse.
Meanwhile, the sisters remain under police protection at secret addresses. Sara says she hopes their ordeal will push for real changes in how at-risk victims are treated. Many observers agree that this case will remain a test of trust in the system’s ability to protect those most vulnerable.
Sources and References
The Danish Dream: Danish justice system criticized over assault case
The Danish Dream: Best criminal defence lawyers in Denmark for foreigners
TV2: Politiet indrømmer fejl og genåbner sag om livstruede søstre
