A Swedish couple separated from their two daughters for nearly four years has lost an appeal before the European Court of Human Rights, leaving the family without a clear path to reunification.
The court ruled the case brought by Daniel and Bianca Samson inadmissible, a decision that is final and cannot be appealed, according to their legal representatives.
The case began in late 2022, when Swedish authorities removed the couple’s two eldest daughters from their home following an allegation by one of the children. The claim, later retracted, stemmed from a dispute over household rules, including restrictions on makeup and cellphone use.
Authorities found no evidence of abuse, according to ADF International, a legal advocacy group representing the family. Despite that, the children have remained in state care and are currently placed in separate foster homes.
The parents have been allowed only limited contact, seeing their daughters about once a month under supervision. The girls have expressed a desire to return home, according to the family’s legal team, and have experienced reported declines in their physical and mental health while in foster care.
ADF International said Swedish authorities cited the family’s practice of attending church three times a week as evidence of “religious extremism.”
In its decision, the European Court of Human Rights said it could not rule on the case because all domestic legal remedies in Sweden had not yet been exhausted. The court indicated that claims related to religious freedom could still be pursued in Swedish courts.
“The decision of inadmissibility is final and cannot be appealed,” ADF International said, adding that it is assessing possible next steps.
Guillermo A. Morales Sancho, legal counsel for ADF, said the case raises broader concerns about state intervention in family life.
“Parents have the primary responsibility and right to raise their children. When the state interferes with family life based on values-based parenting choices or discrimination on the basis of faith, fundamental freedoms are at stake,” he said.
The Samsons, who are of Romanian origin and have lived in Sweden for several years, initially agreed to temporary foster care placement while authorities investigated the allegations. After the claims were withdrawn and the investigation closed, officials declined to reunite the family and instead moved to terminate parental rights.
The couple has five other children who were not removed from the home.
According to ADF International, the parents completed required parenting programs and were certified as fit to care for their children during the process.
The case has drawn attention from religious freedom advocates, who argue it reflects potential overreach in Sweden’s child welfare system. Swedish authorities have not publicly detailed the full basis for their decisions in the case.
Feature photo: Courtesy of ADF International (adfinternational.org)
