Yahia Haj Abdo was employed in elderly care in several Swedish municipalities despite being a convicted woman abuser. After serving time in prison, the Syrian changed to a Swedish name to avoid scrutiny and was then able to get work in municipalities that did not check the criminal record register. Despite a prison sentence for torturing his ex-partner and another conviction for similar violent crimes recently, he was able to work with Swedish pensioners. Now, the Syrian has suddenly been bought out by Kristianstad municipality for 110,000 SEK – after being suspected of raping a dementia-stricken pensioner at work.
Samnytt can now detail how 33-year-old Abdo Haj Yahia from Idlib in Syria, who came to Sweden during the migrant crisis of 2014-2015—when Fredrik Reinfeldt (M) urged Swedes to “open your hearts” and Stefan Löfven (S) assured the public that immigration would become “a benefit for society a little further down the line”—and who now has changed his name to Ryan Wallén, was able to work in elderly care in several Swedish municipalities for many years despite prison terms for violent crimes.
He was already convicted in 2018 after he assaulted, threatened to kill, and controlled his then-girlfriend, repeatedly punching her in the face, grabbing her by the throat, and hitting her with a belt after binding her hands and legs.
The abused ex-girlfriend recounts her terror in police interviews.
– He said, “You are going to die today.” I was very scared, and continued:
– I want to know if you release him. Because I think he will come after me and I am very afraid.
READ MORE: Gang-linked home care Eritrean raped 82-year-old in her home – avoids deportation
For the terror he subjected the woman to, he was convicted of gross violation of women’s integrity and sentenced to one year in prison.
The Syrian Abuses Another Girlfriend
In March 2025, the Syrian was together with another woman, while also working in home care in another Swedish municipality. He reportedly grabbed the girlfriend by the throat so hard that she had to break free from him to escape.
READ MORE: REVEALED: Gang criminal employed in home care – raped pensioner
During the commotion, he also smashed her TV and threw her phone. The court deemed that probation and 100 hours of community service was an appropriate punishment for the Syrian.
In 2020, the convicted woman abuser from Syria applied for Swedish citizenship, which was denied in 2024. Thus, he can be deported back to Syria – but no prosecutor has ever requested this over the years.
Former Colleagues Testified About Inappropriate Conduct
In addition to his prison sentence, the Syrian has two ‘lex Sarah’ reports against him from 2023 due to psychological abuse, as several of his former colleagues testified about inappropriate and disrespectful behavior.
Among other things, he was accused of shouting at dementia patients, unfastening a colleague’s bra and trying to kiss her in front of a care recipient, sending offensive and sexually degrading images and videos to her on three occasions, and throwing water over her twice.
After six months in that job he had to leave due to repeated inappropriate behavior. But despite this, he was able to continue his career in elderly care in Sweden.
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Pensioner Had Fractures and Injuries in Genitals
Kristianstad municipality, governed by a coalition of the Sweden Democrats, Moderates, and Christian Democrats, is one of several Swedish municipalities that do not conduct record checks for staff employed in elderly care, but it has been decided to start doing so—from September this year.
READ MORE: INTERVIEW: Sweden Democrats want life sentences for rapes against the elderly
Samnytt can reveal that a dementia-stricken woman at the care home where the Syrian worked was admitted by ambulance to the hospital at the end of March this year after having bruises on her body and being unresponsive. At the hospital, fractures to both of her arms were discovered, and later injuries to her genitals as well.
A police report was filed and the Syrian woman abuser is now reasonably suspected of having raped the demented woman. He was initially suspended from work—but was bought out by the municipality on June 4th—for 110,000 SEK of taxpayers’ money.
The HR Chief About the Payout to the Syrian
Samnytt has spoken with HR chief Petrus Brynte, who signed the agreement between the municipality and the Syrian Abdo Yahia (now Ryan Wallén), to ask how the man could be employed—despite his criminal record—and about the agreement now signed with him.
Do you perform any background checks when hiring for elderly care in Kristianstad?
– We do not at the moment. We have a committee decision and an administrative decision to start doing so, effective for all hires starting September 1 and onwards.
Why wait until September 1 and not introduce it now?
– We are a large organization—we have 3,000 employees. It has been a matter of needing a political committee decision, establishing routines, and putting structures in place to ensure it happens in a proper and legally secure manner.
I have here in front of me an agreement signed by you, where Wallén (Yahia) is granted a severance payment of 110,000 SEK in connection with ending his employment with you on June 4. Is that a reasonable decision given the background and what he is now suspected of?
– I unfortunately cannot comment on the individual case here and can neither confirm nor deny anything.
Petrus Brynte then explains how such situations are generally handled. He describes that when an employee is suspended during an investigation, it is common practice that the municipality pays salary and that this can often be significantly more costly than severance pay.
If someone is reasonably suspected, for example, as in this case for rape—purely hypothetically—do you not have the right to suspend without salary?
– No… I would… mostly not. The general answer is that general regulations, our collective agreements… in such a situation, would usually result in suspension with salary.
Why We Publish the Name Despite Only Reasonable Suspicion
Samnytt has made the editorial decision to publish the suspected man’s name and photo. The decision is not based solely on the current suspicion of rape, where the legal process is ongoing and guilt has not yet been determined, but on significant public interest concerning how persons with a documented history of serious violent crime can be employed in elderly care with responsibility for some of the most vulnerable people in society.
The man who is now reasonably suspected of rape has previously been sentenced to prison for gross violation of women’s integrity. Despite this, he was able to get work in elderly care without the employer conducting any check of the criminal record register. He has also been convicted of further similar violent crimes as recently as May this year. These circumstances are central to the review we are presenting and, in our opinion, justify the identification.
This is not just about a single criminal case. For several years, Samnytt has repeatedly scrutinized cases where people with serious criminal backgrounds have managed to get work in elderly care. It points to recurring flaws in municipal recruitment procedures and background checks—flaws that in the worst cases can have serious consequences for elderly, ill, and demented individuals who depend on care staff.
Our ambition is to depict reality as it is and contribute to a broader societal discussion on how elderly care can better protect its users. At the same time, we wish to underline that the suspect must be regarded as innocent until and unless a court of law finds otherwise. The publication is not intended to pre-empt the legal process, but to highlight a recurring social problem of significant public interest.
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