COLUMBUS, Ohio – A runaway teenage girl from Ohio who converted from Islam to Christianity has reached a court settlement that allows her to remain free of her Muslim parents.
The agreement Tuesday says that 17-year-old Rifqa Bary will stay in a foster home under state custody in Columbus until she turns 18 in August. After that, she'll be an adult and free to live where she chooses.
Bary's attorney read a statement in Franklin County Juvenile Court, saying that the girl and her parents love and respect each other and will try to resolve their differences through counseling.
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Bary ran away to Florida last summer, saying she feared her father would harm or kill her for leaving Islam.
Her father denied the claim, and a law enforcement investigation found no credible threats to the girl.
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