A Christian Romanian couple who formerly lived in Sweden has taken their custody battle to Washington, D.C., after being separated from their two home schooled daughters for more than three years over parental “religious extremism” allegations.
Christians and Romanian protesters rallied at the Swedish embassy in D.C. in support of Daniel and Bianca Samson whose children Sara and Tiana Samson were seized by the Swedish social services in December 2022. Sara was 11 and Tiana was 10 at the time.
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The government seized the girls after Sara made a false abuse report at school. The accusation came following an argument with her parents over phone and makeup restrictions. After the girls were taken at school and without their parents’ knowledge, Sara soon admitted that she had fabricated the abuse allegations. Even though prosecutors found no evidence of abuse, the government refused to return the girls, according to Alliance Defending Freedom International, which legally represents the parents. The child protection services called the couple “religious extremists,” citing the family’s church attendance, which was three times a week, and their refusal to allow the girls to wear make-up.
The Samsons fought for custody of their children 14 times in court. They said prosecuting attorneys cited their lack of a television in the home and their reading of Bible stories as “violent” and grounds for the religious extremist accusations.
The case reached the European Court of Human Rights, which ruled on March 10 that the case was “inadmissible,” a final decision that cannot be appealed.
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EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written by Hannah Davis and originally published by Decision Magazine.
