THE mum of a Solamian accused of strangling his pregnant girlfriend in a suspected honour killing has insisted he could have brought her home.
Saga Forsgren Elneborg, from Sweden, was murdered by her partner as he was too ashamed to introduce her to his Muslim family, prosecutors claim.
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The mum-to-be, 20, was found dead at her home in Örebro, two hours from Stockholm on April 28 last year.
Saga was seven months pregnant and her unborn baby boy tragically died in the womb.
The 20-year-old’s boyfriend, who has not been named in Sweden, was charged with her murder last week.
It is said he hid his two-year relationship with Saga as his family would not accept it.
However, the man’s mum says this wouldn’t have been the case – and she would have loved to have met Saga, and had a grandchild.
She told MailOnline: “I would have been happy if [my son] had met a girl and for me it wouldn’t matter if she was Swedish or not.
“I would have been happy if he showed me the girl. If [my son] had come home and told me that he had got a girl pregnant, I would have been happy to become a grandmother, and especially a young grandmother.
“Even if the pregnancy was out of wedlock, it wouldn’t matter as long as it was my son’s child.”
When she was asked whether she knew of her sons having girlfriends, the mum said no.
Saga had been excited to become a mum, and snapped a selfie showing her pregnant belly near a crib in her room.
Another snap shows the little clothes she had bought for her son.
Her devastated mum told Nerikes Allehanda: “She was so happy. She would move to a new apartment and start her life as a mother.
“This is the worst thing imaginable.”
‘Suffocating and strangling’
Shocking pictures in a 1,000-page dossier released by cops last week show the crime scene in the bedroom.
Another snap shows a lamp cord – the possible murder weapon.
The man grew up in a household that believed dating a “white” woman is “not okay” and that he “must date a woman of the same culture”, prosecutors say.
Prosecutor Elisabeth Anderson said: “[Saga’s boyfriend] has killed Saga Forsgren Elneborg by suffocating and strangling her by means of pressure on her neck with an impact on the trachea and the blood supply to the head.
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“I mean that the murder took place in an honour context because the man wanted to preserve or restore his and his family’s honour by killing the woman who was carrying his child.”
The man appears to have not been charged over the death of their unborn son, who weighed 1.7kg and measured just 1.5ft from head to toe.
Chilling messages between the couple show the suspect telling Saga he would reveal their relationship to his family, as well as their expected child.
Saga tried to reassure him after he said: “Feels like I can almost feel my heartbeat all the way down to my stomach.”
Her final message asking him how it was going and asking for him to “talk to me” went unanswered.
She was found dead in the hours that followed.
‘Won’t be able to keep my family’
Prosecutors claim he went to her flat and “violently” strangled her with the cable of a bedside lamp, reports Aftonbladet.
There is no evidence suggesting his family was either involved in the killing or that they asked for it, according to local media.
Earlier text messages between Saga and the suspect show he suggested she have an abortion.
He told her: “I know we can make it, but I won’t be able to keep my family.
“If it had been possible, there would have been no problem with keeping the child.”
The suspect is due in court on Wednesday April 10, and the trial is set to last 15 days.
He has denied any wrongdoing.
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How you can get help:
Women’s Aid has this advice for victims and their families:
- Always keep your phone nearby.
- Get in touch with charities for help, including the Women’s Aid live chat helpline and services such as SupportLine.
- If you are in danger, call 999.
- Familiarise yourself with the Silent Solution, reporting abuse without speaking down the phone, instead dialing “55”.
- Always keep some money on you, including change for a pay phone or bus fare.
- If you suspect your partner is about to attack you, try to go to a lower-risk area of the house – for example, where there is a way out and access to a telephone.
- Avoid the kitchen and garage, where there are likely to be knives or other weapons. Avoid rooms where you might become trapped, such as the bathroom, or where you might be shut into a cupboard or other small space.
If you are a victim of domestic abuse, SupportLine is open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 6pm to 8pm on 01708 765200. The charity’s email support service is open weekdays and weekends during the crisis – messageinfo@supportline.org.uk.
Women’s Aid provides a live chat service – available weekdays from 8am-6pm and weekends 10am-6pm.
You can also call the freephone 24-hour National Domestic Abuse Helpline on 0808 2000 247.
