Christian family takes fight to DC embassy after government seizes daughters over 'religious extremism'
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WASHINGTON, D.C. — Christian parents whose two daughters were seized by the Swedish government more than three years ago brought their custody battle to Washington, D.C., on Friday.
A crowd of Romanian-Americans gathered outside the Swedish Embassy in Washington on Friday morning to show their support for Daniel and Bianca Samson, Christian parents who have been separated from their daughters, Sara and Tiana, since December 2022.
The years-long battle began after Sara, then 11, made a false abuse allegation against her parents, stemming from an argument over not being allowed to wear makeup or have a smartphone. Despite Sara quickly admitting she had lied, Swedish social services removed the girls from the home.
Prosecutors found no evidence of abuse, but the state refused to return the girls, citing the family’s habit of attending church three times a week and media choices as evidence of "religious extremism."
In court, Daniel Samson said officials labeled the parents "religious extremists" to justify their separation. He said lawyers used their parenting choices against them, such as the girls not being allowed to paint their nails, the lack of a television in the home and the reading of Bible stories, which he said authorities called "violent."
The case has drawn international outrage and support from the Romanian government. Romanian Sen. Titus Corlatean and Chicago Pastor Cristian Ionescu traveled to speak at the D.C. rally, which coincides with similar demonstrations planned this week in Brisbane, Stockholm, London, and Copenhagen.
Ionescu, the senior pastor of Elim Romanian Pentecostal Church and president of the Romanian Pentecostal Churches' Union in the United States, told Fox News Digital he hopes the same sort of government overreach won't come to the U.S. But after fleeing communism in Romania 40 years ago, he says he's alarmed by the rise of socialism in political races across the country.
"I see a surge of socialist and communist politicians and this is always associated with a totalitarian society," Ionescu said. "In Romania, they didn't confiscate the children from the families, but they were trying to educate them in a worldview and in a system contrary to Christian values, and parents that did not cooperate were persecuted."
"I hope I will never see this in America," he continued. "This is why I left Romania almost 40 years ago. America used to be a cradle of true civilization, Christianity. Now it's changing and not for the better, but I hope we will still hold the front line."
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In June, the Romanian Senate unanimously approved a declaration demanding Sweden immediately return the Samson girls to their family. Romanian Sen. Corlatean, who raised the proposal, said Sweden has ignored their demands.
"There was no reciprocity in this relationship, no positive answer. It was a simulation of cooperation," Corlatean told Fox News Digital.
He said the girls are Romanian citizens and accused Sweden of violating the two nations' diplomatic relationship as well as international law.
"They are not Swedish citizens, so Sweden is keeping [the girls] abusively in their custody against the will of the state of citizenship of our own citizens," he added.
The separation has taken a severe toll on the children. Samson said both girls have attempted suicide six or seven times while in state custody, and his eldest daughter has since been placed in an adult psychiatric facility.
"It's horrible, and it's a desperate situation," Corlatean added. "The girls are asking all the time to be given back to their parents and to Romania, and the social services are lying constantly saying the daughters are refusing to go back to their parents."
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Since taking their story public, Daniel Samson says the Swedish government has entirely barred the family from seeing the girls and expressed intent to change their names — a move he fears is a precursor to forced adoption.
Over the past three years, Samson said his family has lost 14 times in Swedish courts. In March, the Samsons lost their final appeal to regain custody, after the European Court of Human Rights ruled their case inadmissible.
Corlatean hopes the U.S. will lend their support and show "solidarity" for the Romanian family, citing the two nations' "shared Christian values."
He added that there is precedent for the U.S. helping in cases like this, citing the 2015 case of the Bodnarius, a Christian Romanian-Norwegian couple whose five children, including a nursing baby, were placed in foster care by Norway for seven months on allegations they spanked their children.
"There were a number of congressmen, members of the Senate, and also through the State Department that signing letters, [asking] questions and putting pressure on the Norwegian case at the time," Corlatean explained. "It was very helpful. So there is already a precedent of good cooperation."
Swedish social services previously told Fox News Digital it could not comment on individual cases and did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Swedish Embassy said it cannot comment on or intervene in individual cases.
"Sweden greatly values its excellent relations with Romania, including as NATO Allies and EU Member States," the embassy said.
"In Sweden, everyone has the same constitutional rights and freedoms, regardless of ‘race, skin colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status’ as is stated in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights," it continued.
"Swedish social services employ social workers with specialized knowledge about children’s needs," the embassey added. "The social welfare committee in the municipality where the child resides is responsible for ensuring that children grow up in a safe environment."