STOCKHOLM – Thousands of Romanians protested in Bucharest on Saturday over Sweden’s refusal to return Sara and Tiana Samson to their parents, Daniel and Bianca.
The girls are Romanian citizens from a Christian family who lived as residents in Sweden. They were seized from their parents under false pretenses by Swedish social services three and a half years ago.
A showdown is looming between Romania and Sweden over the girls. The case has become a national news story in Romania and an important issue for the Romanian government.
Taken from Their Parents Over False Claims of Abuse
Sara and Tiana were seized while at school, after the couple’s eldest daughter, Sara, lied to school officials about being abused by her parents. She was angry that they would not allow her to have a smartphone or wear makeup as a 10-year-old.
The parents, Daniel and Bianca Samson, spoke to CBN News from their native Romania, after Bianca fled Sweden with their other five children, when social services threatened to take them too.
Daniel said, “As soon as (Sara) said those things to the school, they took both of them…the social services. Then (Tiana) said, ‘Everything, it’s a lie. My sister invented everything. And I was there when she blackmailed the parents.'”
“And Sara, who started everything, confessed to her lies in a matter of days. And she never changed her story. But that was not enough, because, basically, (Swedish Social Services) searches for a reason to keep them captive.”
Under the ‘Care’ Of Swedish Social Services, One Daughter Began Abusing Drugs
Although prosecutors also found no evidence of abuse, the Swedish state refused to return the children. The girls have pleaded to be reunited with their parents. One has begun taking drugs, and both have attempted suicide multiple times.
Daniel told us, “Sara, while in their care for years now, she’s been vaping and taking marijuana and other types of drugs.”
In a video call to her parents, Sara said, “The Social Services have ruined my life. I don’t have words to express how much they have destroyed my life.”
Tiana, in a phone video, said, “Just please take me home, I don’t want to be here anymore.”
Daniel said, “They would come to me and my wife and tell us, ‘Your children said they don’t want to see you anymore.’ And that was a lie.”
Sara, in a video call to her parents, said, “I have tried to take my life seven times, and if you ask why, it is because I didn’t see the point in life.” When her mother asked, “And would you like to come back home to your parents?” Sara’s answer was, “Yes. One hundred percent. Home!”
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Swedish social services have stated their intention to put the girls up for adoption.
Rather than admit its mistake and return the Samson girls to their parents, Sweden has dug in its heels, and what could have simply been an unfortunate mistake that was quickly resolved has now turned into an international incident.
Romania’s Senate Demands Sweden Return the Girls
The Romanian Senate has unanimously approved a declaration demanding the immediate return of the Samson girls.
Romanian Senator and former Foreign Minister Titus Corlatean told us that Sweden has not taken the demand seriously.
“No reaction,” Corlatean said. “It’s a simulation of cooperation from Sweden for eight months. They didn’t respond to a long list of questions and requirements of the Romanian government. It’s violating the Romanian constitution because the girls belong to the Romanian state.”
A Social Service System Even Swedish Leaders Condemn
Even Swedish politicians attack the social services system. One recently accused social services of “kidnapping” children.
Last month, a local leader for the conservative Sweden Democrats was thrown out of the party for distributing leaflets that said, “Stop the social services from taking your children.”
Anders Karlsson, who also had a daughter taken by social services, began the Parental Support Agency, a non-profit initiative advocating for parents’ rights.
While Karlsson told us many social workers are fair and professional, he alleges that vulnerable children are sometimes placed in the hands of unsuitable social workers and consultants, including individuals with questionable backgrounds, even criminal histories.
He further noted that there have been cases in which individuals allegedly falsified academic credentials and remained employed for years before the deception was discovered.
Karlsson told us, “I had one guy in our case, he had a previous, a couple of different identities. He had a ton of different identities in his background and was described by his friends as a notorious criminal.”
Karlsson said, “There’s so many different parts of this system that are problematic. The problems are so severe that it that it doesn’t ‘fit’ into the Swede’s mental idea about what Sweden is and stands for.”
Describing the taking of children by Swedish Social Services, Karlsson said, “The problem in when the train departs in the wrong direction, there are no brakes. It just keeps going. And there is a lot of financial interest for having these kids in course of care.”
Samson Family’s Faith Treated as ‘Religious Extremism’
In the Samson case, Swedish Social Services justified keeping the children by citing the family’s regular church attendance as evidence of “religious extremism.”
Daniel said, “In Sweden (as a parent), as soon as you mention God, as soon as you confess your belief, you have a target on your back. And I do not recommend any Christian family to remain. If you’re hearing this, leave.”
Romania to Ramp Up Pressure on Sweden
Corlatean minces no words in calling Sweden an “open-air concentration camp,” and says this is only the beginning of Romania’s pressure on Sweden.
“We are going to be in the streets,” Corlatean said, “We are going to protest. The Romanian communities once again are organizing themselves right now, and we are going to raise this issue at the international level.”
Bianca Samson told us, “The last three years have been very hard for us. What the Swedish state did was very painful. We are still fighting to get our two back home. We’ve found peace in God through prayer. We thank him for keeping us strong. We also thank our brothers and sisters in Christ for their prayers.”
Swedish Social Services Responds
We asked Sweden’s National Board of Health and Welfare for a comment and it stated, in summary, that social workers are required to be competent and qualified, the courts are a legal safeguard for children, Sweden protects freedom of religion and belief, the child’s best interests must be a primary consideration, and children have a right to participate in matters that affect them. (Full Statement Below)
With the girls facing a possible adoption, Daniel says all the family can do now is to give this situation to God.
“I’ve done my very best, God. And now it’s your turn, it’s your turn to intervene,” Daniel said. “There’s nothing more I can do. They took these precious children from me, and there’s nothing else I can do. I beg of you, God, please intervene. Please save these daughters because they are firstly yours. They are your children, first.”
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Statement from Sweden’s National Board of Health and Welfare
Decisions to separate a child from their parents are among the most serious decisions that can be made. For that reason, Swedish legislation contains extensive safeguards and legal requirements governing such cases.
Professionals working with child welfare cases in social services are required to have appropriate education, experience, and competence. In most cases, social workers handling these matters hold university degrees in social work, and municipalities are responsible for ensuring that cases are managed in a legally secure and professional manner. Swedish legislation also sets requirements regarding who is authorized to make decisions in these cases.
Importantly, decisions concerning the care and placement of children are subject to judicial review. Parents have the right to appeal decisions in court, and the courts independently assess whether the legal requirements for intervention have been met. This is an important safeguard to ensure due process and legal certainty.
Sweden protects freedom of religion and belief. At the same time, the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child is incorporated into Swedish law. This means that in all actions concerning children, the child’s best interests must be a primary consideration. Children also have the right to be heard, to have their views taken into account, and to participate in matters that affect them, in accordance with their age and maturity.
