Somali community in Finland mourns for Keyse Abdifatah

Members of the Somali community in Finland are mourning for their brother, son and friend Keyse Abdifatah, who was stabbed to death last Sunday by two other young men at the Kannelmäki train station, in Helsinki.

In this case, Somalis have two reasons to cry: first, for an absurd crime that has taken the life of a young man who belonged to a very well respected family in their community. And second, because misfortune has struck again a family that also lost a newborn baby a few days ago. So in a couple of weeks, this family has lost its oldest and youngest children.

Somalis are in shock and most of them do not want to talk much about the case, mainly to avoid fueling speculation that has already caused additional pain to the family of the victim. In mosques there have been calls to pray and to let the police work to clarify what happened.

Little is known about the facts. And the authorities and the police also remain silent as the investigation progresses.

From Myyrmäki to Kannelmäki

According to sources from the Somali community, Keyse Abdifatah was a Finnish citizen with Somali roots. He lived with his multi-member family in Myyrmäki (western Vantaa). From there, on Sunday night around ten o'clock he decided to go to the Prisma supermarket located in the Kaari Shopping Center, in Kannelmäki. This is a neighbourhood in northwest Helsinki, about 10 kilometres from the city center.

The young boy traveled the approximately eleven-minute journey between the stations of Myyrmäki and Kannelmäki, which are connected by the Ring Rail Line operated by VR.

-"He left the train and then nobody knows what happened," emphasizes one of the sources consulted, who also asked not to speculate in any way on the motive for the crime.

-"The case is under the investigation. Now all my thoughts are with the family in this hard situation. He was a well liked young boy from a very well respected family in the Somali community," another member said.

Two young men imprisoned

In the absence of further details, what is known is that Keyse was stabbed to death that night. And that the two suspects of the crime were arrested shortly thereafter by the police.

The detainees were two men, Finns by birth. One of them is almost 20 years old as he was born in June 2000. The other was born in December 1990, therefore he is ten years older and close to 30.

Police Superintendent Juhani Vuorisalo, in charge of the investigation, already said last Monday that they have no reasons to suspect the involvement of other people in the events.

On Thursday 30 April, the Helsinki District Court ordered the suspects to be imprisoned, according to a press release from the police.

Investigation continues

Superintendent Vuorisalo says the preliminary investigation will continue and further details on this case will be disclosed to the public when they consider that it will not endanger the police work.

So far there has been a lot of noise and speculation surrounding this case in the internet. Several theories have circulated and in some forums photographs have been published with the intention of damaging the victim's reputation.

So much so that Somalis insist that speculations should not be launched until the outcome of the investigation is known.

Meanwhile, many already miss Keyse.