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A Christian couple’s years-long fight to regain custody of their daughters from the Swedish government was dealt a major setback last week after a top European court rejected their plea for help.
The European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) ruled the case brought by Daniel and Bianca Samson "inadmissible" on March 10, a final decision that cannot be appealed.
According to Alliance Defending Freedom International, which is supporting the family’s legal effort, the children have been separated from their parents since December 2022.
ADF International said the case began after the couple’s eldest daughter, Sara, then 11, made a false abuse report at school following a fight with her parents over not being allowed to have a smartphone or wear makeup. ADF said the girl quickly retracted the allegation and that prosecutors found no evidence of abuse, but the Swedish state refused to return the children.
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Daniel and Bianca Samson's two daughters, Sara and Tiana, were seized by the Swedish government on allegations of "religious extremism" after the eldest daughter made a false report at school, that she later retracted, about an argument over not being allowed to wear makeup or have a cell phone. (Alliance Defending Freedom International)
According to the legal group, the state cited the family’s habit of attending church three times a week and their parenting choices as evidence of "religious extremism" and justification for keeping the children.
The girls have pleaded to be reunited with their parents and have suffered worsening mental and physical health, according to ADF International. Their parents reported that both girls attempted suicide while in state care.
The parents have completed state-mandated parenting courses and were later deemed fit to parent, according to the legal group, but they still have not been reunited with their daughters. They have also allegedly sought to move the girls into foster care in their home country of Romania, but have been denied.
The European Court of Human Rights "deemed the case inadmissible on the grounds of failure to exhaust legal remedies in Sweden," ADF International said, despite the Swedish Supreme Court refusing to hear the family's case in 2025.
The European Court of Human Rights is seen in Strasbourg, France, on April 27, 2022. (Mustafa Yalcin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images)
"We love our children. We trusted Sweden to protect them — and when the truth emerged, we expected our daughters to come home," Daniel Samson said in a statement. "Yet they remain away from us, and their mental health continues to deteriorate."
ADF International told Premier Christian News that social services in Hässleholm are now moving to permanently sever the family's ties and place the girls for adoption.
"We deeply regret the Court’s decision to reject this case, considering that this family has been torn apart for over three years despite a full investigation that cleared Mr. and Mrs. Samson of any abuse and the fact that the Social Services certified their capacity and fitness for parenting after they successfully completed an official training," said Guillermo A. Morales Sancho, legal counsel for ADF International. "Families should be free to live according to their convictions without fear of losing their children to the state."
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A Christian couple is fighting the Swedish government for custody of their two young daughters. (iStock)
Sweden's Social Services did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's requests for comment.
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The European Court of Human Rights told Fox News Digital it considers cases on a "case by case basis" and does not provide comment "on general events or matters." The court also said a single judge declared the case inadmissible, according to its guidelines.
Kristine Parks is a reporter for Fox News Digital. Read more.
