Moderate Party Leader Critical as Egyptian Trans Woman Who Murdered Children Placed in Women's Prison – But Does Not Want to Repeal the Law

The placement of inmates within the Prison and Probation Service should be based on biological sex rather than legal gender, according to Moderate Party MP and former police officer Fredrik Kärrholm, who now wants to see a change in the prison law. The background is the decision to transfer the Egyptian trans woman sentenced to life, Paulus Abdelshahed, to a women’s prison after changing legal gender at the Swedish Tax Agency. However, neither an amendment nor a repeal of the gender change law is currently on the table. Instead, Kärrholm directs criticism at the Christian Democrats (KD) and the Sweden Democrats (SD), whom he accuses of ‘scoring cheap political points.’

The new gender identity law, approved in 2024 and effective from July 1 this year, has made it easier to change one’s legal gender. The requirement for a gender dysphoria diagnosis was removed and the age limit was lowered to 16. The Moderates were among the parties that pushed the law through; party leader Ulf Kristersson pushed past internal opposition and criticism to do so.

Samnytt has, in several articles, highlighted the case of the Egyptian man who claims to be a woman and was sentenced to life for gassing his two children to death in Södertälje. It is now clear that the Egyptian, who has admitted to lying to gain asylum in Sweden, will be placed in a women’s prison.

It was in April 2024 that one of the most high-profile child murders in modern times was revealed. When the children’s mother returned to their home in Södertälje, she found her two children—both under the age of ten—dead in the residence. The children’s father, then 38, was arrested shortly thereafter and confessed to the acts.

Court documents indicate that Abdelshahed is said to suffer from identity issues related to gender dysphoria. According to the records, he identifies as transsexual, which manifests in presenting as a woman and wearing women’s clothing.

The decision to transfer the Egyptian to a women’s prison came after a legal gender change during time served. This was made possible by the new gender change law introduced under Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson (M) which allows residents to easily change their registered gender in official records.

ALSO READ: Egyptian Child Killer in Södertälje: I Lied to Get Asylum

Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s (M) party colleague Fredrik Kärrholm was absent from the parliamentary vote when the gender change law was passed, likely due to his criticism of the law. He has now publicly stated that this cannot continue—something both the Sweden Democrats and the Christian Democrats had already warned about.

According to Fredrik Kärrholm, who switched careers from police to politician, biological women should have the absolute right never to be locked up with a biological man, citing the risk of sexual assault. He argues that the law must guarantee this.

At the same time, Kärrholm does not dare to publicly oppose his party leader and boss, Ulf Kristersson, by openly advocating for the law’s repeal. Instead, he chooses to propose an amendment to the prison law, which could prevent such developments.

Both KD leader Ebba Busch and SD leader Jimmie Åkesson, in connection with this news receiving attention, have once again criticized the law.

“When the new gender identity law came in—a part of common sense went out. Now we are starting to see the results,” Busch wrote.

Fredrik Kärrholm defends Kristersson’s law and claims that both the Christian Democrats and Sweden Democrats are “scoring cheap political points” off it. He does not share the view that the problem can be solved by amending or repealing the gender identity law. He further notes that the possibility to change legal gender has existed for over 50 years and that the Prison and Probation Service deals with only a handful of such cases each year.

— Yes, it has become easier to change legal gender, but it has actually been possible since the 1970s and the Prison and Probation Service only handles a few such cases each year. Anyone who really wants to protect women should look for a more constructive way forward. I think both Busch and Åkesson are making cheap political points out of this, Kärrholm told Aftonbladet.

Kärrholm now leads an investigation into a modernized prison law and intends to propose that biological sex should be decisive in the placement of inmates. He wants to make sure that anyone born male should never be placed in a women’s facility.