Sweden: Three Hijab-Wearing Girls Report Street Harassment in Helsingborg
Sweden: Three Hijab-Wearing Girls Report Street Harassment in Helsingborg
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Three young girls wearing hijabs have reported being targeted in separate incidents in Helsingborg, southern Sweden, with authorities investigating at least one case as a possible hate-related offense.
According to Sweden’s public broadcaster SVT, a report published on September 23, 2026, highlighted the experiences of three girls — Camilla, 11, Yasmine, 13, and Zainab, 12 — who said they were confronted in public because of their headscarves.
Zainab said that a man approached her while she was on her way to a sports class and verbally insulted her because she was wearing a hijab. Following the incident, her school contacted police and filed a report.
Police, as cited by SVT, are currently reviewing the case as an alleged violation of personal integrity.
SVT reported that three suspected hate-motivated incidents targeting young hijab-wearing girls have been recorded in Helsingborg in recent months. The report also highlighted broader challenges in Sweden regarding the investigation and prosecution of hate-related crimes.
Figures from the Swedish National Council for Crime Prevention (Brå) indicate that only around 5% of reported hate crimes between 2022 and 2024 resulted in police identifying a suspect.
The incidents have renewed discussion about the protection of young people from discrimination and harassment, as well as the challenges faced by authorities in addressing hate-related offenses.
