Two Christian parents have taken their case against Sweden to the European Court of Human Rights after being separated from their two eldest daughters for more than two years. The couple says the Swedish child protection system wrongfully removed their children and violated their parental rights.
Daniel and Bianca Samson, Romanian citizens who had lived in Sweden for nearly a decade, filed the case this week, according to the human rights group ADF International, which is supporting their case and contends that it raises "serious concerns" about delays, overreach and possible discrimination against Christians in Sweden’s child welfare system.
The parents say their daughters, ages 10 and 11 at the time, were taken by Swedish social services in December 2022 after one of them falsely reported abuse at school. The child later withdrew the claim, but authorities refused to return the girls.
The incident began when the parents denied their daughter’s request for a smartphone and makeup, citing her age. The report led to allegations of “religious extremism” and child abuse. Prosecutors later found no evidence of wrongdoing, and the investigation was closed. However, Swedish authorities continued to keep the girls in state custody, placing them in separate foster homes located far apart.
The family is allowed one supervised visit a month.
Between January and June 2024, the parents completed a state-mandated parenting course, during which two therapists certified their competence. Authorities, however, did not reunite the family.
The children have since been moved through several foster placements, with one reportedly suffering physical and mental health issues and attempting suicide. Their parents say both girls have pleaded to come home, but the state continues to deny reunification.
In legal proceedings, Sweden’s state lawyer called the family “religious extremists,” citing their regular church attendance three times a week and their refusal to allow certain clothing or makeup. The parents’ lawyers argue these are expressions of faith protected under international human rights law. They have cited Articles 8 and 9 of the European Convention on Human Rights, which protect family life and religious freedom.
Daniel Samson said they turned to the Strasbourg-based court after every legal path in Sweden failed, including the Supreme Court’s decision not to hear their case in March 2025.
“We love our children. We trusted Sweden to protect them — and when the truth emerged, we expected our daughters to come home. Yet they remain away from us, and their mental health continues to deteriorate,” he said.
The Samsons have also asked to have the children transferred to the foster system in Romania, but that request was denied. The couple has since returned to Romania with their other five children while pursuing the European case.
“Despite a full investigation that cleared Mr. and Mrs. Samson of any abuse, Swedish authorities have prolonged this family’s suffering and have still not allowed the children to go home,” ADF International counsel Robert Morales Sancho said, adding that the "case strikes at the heart of every parent’s most fundamental right."
"The Samsons are living every parent’s worst nightmare, having lost their children to the state for nearly three years," he said.
Daniel Samson told European Conservative that the separation has taken a heavy toll. The girls, he said, have been moved between foster families located hundreds of miles apart, sometimes preventing visits for months. He described one daughter as heavily medicated and emotionally withdrawn, saying, “The way she looks, she’s not looking at you. She’s looking through you.”
The couple claim they have complied with every state request. They say officials have ignored those findings and continued to block reunification. “You can come visit us daily. I will even allow you to put cameras in all the corners of the house, but please just let them return home,” the father reportedly told social workers.
Authorities reportedly confiscated the children’s religious materials, saying biblical audio stories were too violent. ADF International argues that the family’s treatment shows “an unmistakable element of religious discrimination.”
The European Court of Human Rights has found multiple violations in child protection cases involving Norway, Spain and other countries, including rulings that states overstepped their authority by permanently separating families.
