Sweden: Parents of Boy Seized by State Hopeful after Favorable Court Ruling

In a major breakthrough, a Swedish district court has ruled that the parental rights of Annie and Christer Johansson will not be terminated. In its 23-page detailed opinion, the court stated it could not ignore the unanimous and extensive testimony of firsthand accounts of friends, family and others that Dominic Johansson was being properly cared for by his parents prior to Swedish authorities seizing him on June 26, 2009.

The boy and his parents were on board a jetliner minutes from departing Sweden for Annie’s home country of India when Dominic was seized. Authorities justified the taking by pointing to the fact that Dominic was homeschooled. Since then, the family has pursued numerous court actions only to lose in all of them until now.

Ruby Harrold-Claesson, the attorney in the case, said this was a huge development.

“I am absolutely elated!” Claesson said. “This family has suffered horribly for three years at the hands of these Swedish officials. There has not been any justice from the Swedish court system—until now. The social workers and authorities in Gotland have made this family’s life a nightmare for no good reason. I am very pleased that the district court finally saw through the flimsy case and has ruled solidly in favor of the Johanssons.”

HSLDA Attorney and Director of International Relations Michael Donnelly has been following the case closely. He noted the decision with…READ MORE

Contact Swedish Officials

Please contact the officials below to insist they return Dominic (above) to his family immediately in light of this latest court ruling.

Swedish Social Services Committee
Socialnämnden
Gotlands Kommun
621 81 Visby
SWEDEN

The social workers
sofi.rosenqvist@gotland.se
caroline.palmqvist@gotland.se
gunvor.allqvie@gotland.se

The social workers’ supervisors
kristina.djerf@gotland.se
marika.gardell@gotland.se