The court heard that the abrupt separation from her children caused the woman immense physical pain and agony, with one child suffering from severe separation anxiety.

After Omer left Sudan, his wife contacted the Australian embassy, only to learn that her visa had been canceled, which left her grief-stricken and traumatized.

She spent over a year navigating bureaucracy through the Australian embassy in Egypt and migration agents to return to Australia, eventually obtaining a temporary visa in February 2016.

Omer deceived his wife into believing they were going on a one-month holiday to Sudan in 2014, but he planned to abandon her there, leading to a devastating separation.

Mohamed Ahmed Omer, a 52-year-old man from Victoria, was sentenced to four-and-a-half years in prison for exit trafficking his wife, marking him as the first person in the state prosecuted for this Commonwealth offense.

Omer had a history of coercive control and abuse against his wife, manipulating her vulnerable state and isolating her from family and support.

Exit trafficking, which involves coercing or deceiving someone into leaving Australia against their will, is illegal under Commonwealth law.

The prosecution of exit trafficking cases is challenging due to victims' fears, under-reporting, and legal hurdles such as evidence collection.

Despite pleading not guilty, Omer was found guilty by a County Court jury in April 2024, with the judge noting his lack of remorse and high moral culpability.

With 196 days already served, Omer will be eligible for parole in less than three years, despite the maximum penalty for exit trafficking being 12 years.

Judge Frank Gucciardo condemned Omer's actions as a calculated scheme to abandon his wife, emphasizing the serious breach of trust involved.

Lina Garcia Daza from the Australian Red Cross highlighted that nearly 90% of clients experiencing exit trafficking are women, with a notable rise in young female citizens trafficked for forced marriages.