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 greater 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 residents who had lived in Sweden for nearly a decade, filed the case this week, in accordance with 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 on the time, were taken by Swedish social services in December 2022 after considered one of them falsely reported abuse in school. The child later withdrew the claim, but authorities refused to return the ladies.
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 maintain the ladies in state custody, placing them in separate foster homes positioned far apart.
The family is allowed one supervised visit a month.
Between January and June 2024, the parents accomplished a state-mandated parenting course, during which two therapists certified their competence. Authorities, nevertheless, didn’t 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 each girls have pleaded to return home, however the state continues to disclaim reunification.
In legal proceedings, Sweden’s state lawyer called the family “religious extremists,” citing their regular church attendance thrice every week and their refusal to permit certain clothing or makeup. The parents’ lawyers argue these are expressions of religion 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 non secular 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 listen to their case in March 2025.
“We love our kids. We trusted Sweden to guard them — and when the reality emerged, we expected our daughters to return home. Yet they continue to be away from us, and their mental health continues to deteriorate,” he said.
The Samsons have also asked to have the kids 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 kids to go home,” ADF International counsel Robert Morales Sancho said, adding that the “case strikes at the guts of each parent’s most fundamental right.”
“The Samsons live 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 positioned a whole lot of miles apart, sometimes stopping visits for months. He described one daughter as heavily medicated and emotionally withdrawn, saying, “The way she looks, she’s not taking a look at you. She’s searching through you.”
The couple claim they’ve complied with every state request. They say officials have ignored those findings and continued to dam reunification. “You can come visit us each day. I’ll even can help you put cameras in all of the corners of the home, but please just allow them to return home,” the daddy reportedly told social staff.
Authorities reportedly confiscated the kids’s religious materials, saying biblical audio stories were too violent. ADF International argues that the family’s treatment shows “an unmistakable element of spiritual 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.
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