Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland said the case of a Muslim girl who ran away to Florida after converting to Christianity should by handled by Ohio authorities.
Strickland's office said in a statement Friday that the state has no reason to believe Fathima Bary, who is known as Rifqa, would be unsafe in Ohio.
Strickland said the case belongs in Ohio because it is a family matter that can be handled by the state's child welfare and foster care system.
A Florida judge is deciding whether the 17-year-old girl, currently in foster care in Florida, should be returned to Ohio.
The girl ran away from her parents' suburban Columbus home in July, saying she feared being killed for changing religions. An investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement found no evidence to support the girl's claim. The teenager's parents, Mohamed and Aysha Risana Bary, have repeatedly denied threatening their daughter, saying that they love her and want her to come home.
Strickland's office said in a statement Friday that the state has no reason to believe Fathima Bary, who is known as Rifqa, would be unsafe in Ohio.
Strickland said the case belongs in Ohio because it is a family matter that can be handled by the state's child welfare and foster care system.
A Florida judge is deciding whether the 17-year-old girl, currently in foster care in Florida, should be returned to Ohio.
The girl ran away from her parents' suburban Columbus home in July, saying she feared being killed for changing religions. An investigation by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement found no evidence to support the girl's claim. The teenager's parents, Mohamed and Aysha Risana Bary, have repeatedly denied threatening their daughter, saying that they love her and want her to come home.
No comments:
Post a Comment