Saudi teen gets guard for safety in Canada

January 16, 2019

The Toronto agency that is helping Saudi teenager Rahaf Mohammed Alqunun, who was granted asylum in Canada, her has hired a security guard to ensure "she is never alone" as she starts a normal life, amid threats to her safety.

Alqunun made international headlines after she barricaded herself in an airport hotel room in Thailand's capital Bangkok to avoid being sent home to her family due to fears of being harmed or killed. The family denies any abuse.

The teen has received multiple threats online that have made her fear for her safety, said Mario Calla, executive director of Costi, a refugee agency contracted by the Canadian government to help her settle in Toronto.

Costi has hired a security guard and plans to "make sure she is never alone," Calla told reporters. "It's hard to say how serious these threats are. We're taking them seriously."