Authorities aren’t saying exactly how or when Fathima Rifqa Bary is returning to Ohio.
But as of yesterday, it’s official: The 17-year-old religious runaway is to be transferred into the care of Franklin County Children Services. She will live with a foster family on her return.
It’s unclear whether the girl, who goes by Rifqa, will be at a hearing Tuesday in Franklin County Juvenile Court. The court is handling a case that will determine where she will live in Columbus.
Rifqa’s immigration status also remains unknown to the public. She is a native of Sri Lanka, and an attorney in the Florida case raised questions about whether she’s in the country legally.
Rifqa said her father threatened to kill her for her conversion from Islam to Christianity, prompting her to run away to Orlando in July.
Mohamed Bary has denied the allegations, and a Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation found no credible threat to her safety.
The Florida Department of Children and Families, which has had custody of Rifqa since August, would not release details about her trip back to Ohio for safety reasons. The state of Florida will pay for the trip.
Eric Fenner, executive director of Franklin County Children Services, would not comment because of a gag order. He has said he has no reason to believe Rifqa wouldn’t be safe with her parents.
Rifqa’s uncertain immigration status threatened to delay her return; Judge Daniel P. Dawson of the 9th Judicial Circuit Court of Florida said he wanted documentation of her status before sending her back.
His order to return Rifqa indicates that he was satisfied with the information provided, but it should not be read as an indication that Rifqa’s status is legal or not, said Carrie Hoeppner, a spokeswoman with the Department of Children and Families.
The parties in the case know her status, she said, but it isn’t to be released to the public. A spokeswoman with U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services would not comment, citing privacy concerns.
In an August interview with Florida investigators released Thursday, Rifqa talked about the issue.
Asked if her parents had gone on a Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca, Rifqa said, “We couldn’t really travel because of our legal status here. I think my parents were waiting for all that to be sorted out, so we could travel.”
Dawson also had asked for documentation that Rifqa could complete her semester work in her online school. The Department of Children and Families provided that.
New Albany-Plain school officials don’t know whether Rifqa will return as a district student, said spokesman Jeff Warner. The school is ready to take her back and help her catch up if need be, he said.
Classmate Samantha Levy, 16, said Rifqa was so friendly the other students would gladly welcome her back.
“I think if she ever came back to New Albany, everyone would be so kind to her and no one would make her feel uncomfortable at all.”