Swedish government seizes child from home schooling family

[Morwenna]

I’m not sure where you got the information about Domenic’s teeth being ‘riddled’ with cavities. Two cavities were found after Domenic had been in state care for some time. Parental neglect was never originally cited as a justification for removing him into state care. The parents also had concerns about the safety of vaccinations (as have many others) which is why they chose to delay them. This is legal. and certainly not a reason to tear a child from loving parents. The Johansson’s, who were due to leave Sweden shortly after Domenic reached school age, applied for permission to homeschool which is what triggered the social service involvement. (As to their ability to homeschool, Domenic’s mother is a graduate with two masters degrees.)

Homeschooling was legal when Domenic was siezed, but evidently much frowned upon in Sweden, and has since been made illegal. This is not uncommon in Europe; a German homeschooling family were recently granted asylum in USA because of the state persecution in their own country. The Home School Defence League have taken up Domenic’s case and have submitted an appeal to the European Court of Human Rights. This takes appart the Swedish case point by point. They continue to document the story on their website.

Please check out the family’s blog which contains many lovely photos of a happy and healthy Domenic with his family before he was siezed and some disturbing photos of a not so thriving Domenic since he has been in state ‘care’. These illustrate more than words could ever do the cruelty of this draconian misuse of state power.
http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/hs1319.snc4/161900_346022854609_7216746_n.jpgPlease help to support this suffering family by signing this petition. Thank You.

Hi Yellow Belle, I will try and answer the issues you have mentioned here, but they are most thoroughly dealt with in the legal submission to the European Court of Human Rights which I linked in a previous post.

Christer was depressed and traumatised after he and Annie lost every-thing they owned in an earthquake in India in 2001 (Annie’s native country where they were living at the time). Annie was then expecting Domenic and the family returned to Sweden where Christer sought medical help, mindful of his responsibility to his wife and unborn child. He was prescribed anti-depressants which unfortunately did not agree with him and worsened his condition. He eventually overcame his depression without medication and was given a clean bill of health by his psychiatrist. Annie had never suffered any form of mental ill health until her child was torn from her. Since then she has suffered greviously. Understandable when you realise she is only allowed to see her son for one hour every five weeks and has been threatened with complete suspension of these visits if she cannot supress her tears during them. The health of the parents was otherwise good until the family was torn apart. Furthermore the mental health of the parents was not an issue when Domenic was removed. At that point the only concern was the home-schooling and lack of vaccines (both legal choices when Domenic was taken). They have been raised since in an attempt to justify this outrageous abuse of human rights. The Swedish vaccinations would not have protected Domenic from the health risks in India any-way, and they intended to get appropriate vaccines locally. The selling of possessions was due to their stated intention of returning to Annie’s country of birth where she has a large extended family. Their planned move was another reason for their decision to home school.

I’m sorry I’m going on a bit here. I, like you, found it difficult to believe that such a heart-breaking situation could have been allowed to occur without some good reason. Since researching this I have found numerous similar cases in Europe, and the UK where I live. Mercifully many of these injustices have been righted through courts and through the involvement of concientious politicians. Many Swedish supporters of this family have reported a total media blackout of this story in Sweden, despite the increasing world-wide focus generated through the internet.

http://http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc3/hs524.snc3/29832_1378543536901_1031266645_1120947_3739205_n.jpg

http://profile.ak.fbcdn.net/hprofile-ak-snc4/hs1319.snc4/161900_346022854609_7216746_n.jpg

I know it is difficult to believe that this situation has arisen from a family’s decision to home school, but this is not unique in Europe. A German home schooling family was recently granted asylum in USA because of the persecution they suffered in their own country. I am not a home schooler, all five of my children attended state schools. My concern is for this once happy loving family now suffering from this shameful abuse of their human rights.

Thanks for taking the time to share all this information with us, Margaret. Having one’s child wrongfully taken is surely the ‘stuff of nightmares’.

Please keep us posted with additional details as they come to light.

You might also consider starting a thread in the Prayer Intentions section, if you haven’t already done so: forums.catholic-questions.org/forumdisplay.php?f=86 . I have no doubt that CAF’ers would respond wholeheartedly with prayers for this terrible situation.

God bless you, and God bless this family.

 

[psr13]

Is he wrong about the facts ? The depression? The health of the parents? The failure of the parents to comply with Swedish law? The selling off of their belongings and the alarms it raised for social workers already concerned about the mental instability of the parents? Would you not have some qualms about them taking an unvaccinated 7 year old to India?

There is clearly very much more to this story than has been portrayed in the media.

They are his parents. If they want to move back to India, they can move back to India. Not everyone gets vaccinations, and that is up to the person. On that blog you posted, there was a lot of talk about the fact that they were going to live in poverty in India. My husband is from the Philippines AKA a poor country. Once we have kids are we not allowed to move back there if we want to? You better believe that if we were going to do that we would also sell off our things.

 

[Margaret_Stone]

Thanks for taking the time to share all this information with us, Margaret. Having one’s child wrongfully taken is surely the ‘stuff of nightmares’.

Please keep us posted with additional details as they come to light.

You might also consider starting a thread in the Prayer Intentions section, if you haven’t already done so: forums.catholic-questions.org/forumdisplay.php?f=86 . I have no doubt that CAF’ers would respond wholeheartedly with prayers for this terrible situation.

God bless you, and God bless this family.

Thank you Morwenna. Prayer thread now posted.

 

[gamewell45]

Are you absolutely certain of that?

I did some research on that and found that while Sweden is officially a Constitutional Monarchy with a Parliamentary Democratic form of government; they have historically been under the control of the Social Democrats and more recently aligned with the Green and Left Parties, which apparently appear to have a Socialist agenda as well.

sweden.se/

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweden

 

[Kaninchen]

I did some research on that and found that while Sweden is officially a Constitutional Monarchy with a Parliamentary Democratic form of government; they have historically been under the control of the Social Democrats and more recently aligned with the Green and Left Parties, which apparently appear to have a Socialist agenda as well.

sweden.se/

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweden

If you had dug a little deeper, you’d have found that Sweden has a Center-Right government.

 

[Yellow_Belle]

They are his parents. If they want to move back to India, they can move back to India. Not everyone gets vaccinations, and that is up to the person. On that blog you posted, there was a lot of talk about the fact that they were going to live in poverty in India. My husband is from the Philippines AKA a poor country. Once we have kids are we not allowed to move back there if we want to? You better believe that if we were going to do that we would also sell off our things.

You are missing the point. This is not about a right to move country, even to a poor country. It’s about the parents very evidently putting their child’s life at risk and being apparently oblivious to this fact. Not to mention the risk they were putting other children to in India.

Would you have a problem with, say, Jehovah Witness parents not permitting a blood transfusion to save the life of their child?

It is one thing for the adults to refuse vaccinations/medical treatment for themselves: it is quite another to take an unvaccinated child to India. Saying after the fact that they were going to get vaccinations locally in India is highly suspicious to my mind. What was wrong with getting the necessary vaccinations in Sweden? Most of the vaccinations recommended for a trip to India have to be taken in advance if they are to provide any protection. Also, it is the height of irresponsibility to bring a child not vaccinated against basic childhood illnesses into an impoverished environment where malnutrition is a given and where he would represent a serious danger to other children.

I’ll admit to a certain bias about this and it comes from a personal experience. A friend of mine from my primary school days had ‘a thing’ about vaccinations and refused to have her son, Jack, vaccinated against measles. (It’s not required here for school attendance). She took Jack abroad on vacation when he was about three and about a week after they returned he had contracted measles. He developed encephalitis and is now severely brain damaged. Moreover, his playschool teacher was pregnant at the time and due to her exposure to Jack for the few days before his rash appeared, she was infected and suffered a miscarriage. So you’ll perhaps understand if I have little time for those who endanger not only their own children but the children of others as well.

That said, I do hope that the ECHR rules in the parents’ favour. Even though I believe the parents have not acted responsibly towards their child, I also feel the Swedish authorities have been heavy handed, to say the least, in their handling of the situation. And I feel very much for the bewildered little boy, separated so painfully from his parents.

 

[gamewell45]

If you had dug a little deeper, you’d have found that Sweden has a Center-Right government.

My shovel only digs so deep.

 

[1voice]

If you had dug a little deeper, you’d have found that Sweden has a Center-Right government.

I guess the definition of center right in Sweden = Police state if you dont toe the line.

 

[Kaninchen]

I guess the definition of center right in Sweden = Police state if you dont toe the line.

Well, after all these years on CAF, I’ve realised that even Brit Tories like me are Neo-Marxist etc, etc, etc, etc from the point of view of many here, so I expect it rather depends on your point of view and which political dictionary you’re using.

 

[bare_bones]

I speak Swedish, and yes, this is a very “underreported” item, so much that I don’t have enough information to form an opinion in this particular case. Assuming that the information we have is sufficient, I do disagree with the process against the child’s father, which was cited by press to be based on the charge that the father took his child away from foster care for a couple of days. Going after what they have said, the case seems to be over a mere formality; the father broke some rule that foster care works under by not having its staff’s permission to remove him from their premises. I have no idea why the child was in foster care to begin with. It could be for good reasons or not, and depending on those reasons, what police and authorities have done may be justified or not. I really don’t have a clue. Neither do I know why it’s so underreported. That may depend on a number of reasons. I checked the website that someone posted along with a facebook group and a petition, but neither there could I find any more information about the case. The circumstances suggest to me that press knows only little, and that the parents have not wished to publish any more information.

 

[Margaret_Stone]

I speak Swedish, and yes, this is a very “underreported” item, so much that I don’t have enough information to form an opinion in this particular case. Assuming that the information we have is sufficient, I do disagree with the process against the child’s father, which was cited by press to be based on the charge that the father took his child away from foster care for a couple of days. Going after what they have said, the case seems to be over a mere formality; the father broke some rule that foster care works under by not having its staff’s permission to remove him from their premises. I have no idea why the child was in foster care to begin with. It could be for good reasons or not, and depending on those reasons, what police and authorities have done may be justified or not. I really don’t have a clue. Neither do I know why it’s so underreported. That may depend on a number of reasons. I checked the website that someone posted along with a facebook group and a petition, but neither there could I find any more information about the case. The circumstances suggest to me that press knows only little, and that the parents have not wished to publish any more information.

Hi Bare Bones, The family’s submission to the European Court of Human Rights answers all the allegations that have actually been made against the family by the authorities i.e. their homeschooling and delay of his vaccinations. link
The media blackout in Sweden has been commented on by many frustrated supporters attempting to publicise this case, including Daniel Hammarberg who is an independant Swedish journalist, himself a former ward of the Swedish State and author of ‘Madness in Sweden’. The parents have actually published all the information there is about the case in their desperation to achieve a just resolution. I would urge you to examine the facebook and blog again which have both been documenting the case for over a year now. These include documentation including testimonials from those who have lived and worked with them. The Home School Defense League has also been reporting on the case. I doubt they would risk their reputation by defending the indefensible.

Many of their supporters, including myself, have contacted investigative journalists and politicians in an attempt to influence the case without success.

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos...378543536901_1031266645_1120947_3739205_n.jpg

Please pray for this suffering family.
Thank You

 

[psr13]

You are missing the point. This is not about a right to move country, even to a poor country. It’s about the parents very evidently putting their child’s life at risk and being apparently oblivious to this fact. Not to mention the risk they were putting other children to in India.

Would you have a problem with, say, Jehovah Witness parents not permitting a blood transfusion to save the life of their child?

It is one thing for the adults to refuse vaccinations/medical treatment for themselves: it is quite another to take an unvaccinated child to India. Saying after the fact that they were going to get vaccinations locally in India is highly suspicious to my mind. What was wrong with getting the necessary vaccinations in Sweden? Most of the vaccinations recommended for a trip to India have to be taken in advance if they are to provide any protection. Also, it is the height of irresponsibility to bring a child not vaccinated against basic childhood illnesses into an impoverished environment where malnutrition is a given and where he would represent a serious danger to other children.

I’ll admit to a certain bias about this and it comes from a personal experience. A friend of mine from my primary school days had ‘a thing’ about vaccinations and refused to have her son, Jack, vaccinated against measles. (It’s not required here for school attendance). She took Jack abroad on vacation when he was about three and about a week after they returned he had contracted measles. He developed encephalitis and is now severely brain damaged. Moreover, his playschool teacher was pregnant at the time and due to her exposure to Jack for the few days before his rash appeared, she was infected and suffered a miscarriage. So you’ll perhaps understand if I have little time for those who endanger not only their own children but the children of others as well.

That said, I do hope that the ECHR rules in the parents’ favour. Even though I believe the parents have not acted responsibly towards their child, I also feel the Swedish authorities have been heavy handed, to say the least, in their handling of the situation. And I feel very much for the bewildered little boy, separated so painfully from his parents.

I believe JW’s have that right actually. Parents have a right to not vaccinate their children. You can get a vaccination and still die from the disease. Plus, diseases in India are different than diseases in Sweden. Also, that blog you linked to made a huge deal that they were going to be “living in poverty in India.” Much of that blog was about the fact that they would be in a poor country.

 

[bare_bones]

Hi Bare Bones, The family’s submission to the European Court of Human Rights answers all the allegations that have actually been made against the family by the authorities i.e. their homeschooling and delay of his vaccinations. link

Thanks, I appreciate it. The information in that document was quite satisfactory.

The media blackout in Sweden has been commented on by many frustrated supporters attempting to publicise this case, including Daniel Hammarberg who is an independant Swedish journalist, himself a former ward of the Swedish State and author of ‘Madness in Sweden’.

That’s also quite interesting, thanks for that.

The Home School Defense League has also been reporting on the case. I doubt they would risk their reputation by defending the indefensible.

That’s much appreciated. Many thanks.

I have a hunch that the Johanssons will win the case, and I hope that it will eventually receive due attention. Based on the submission to the European Court, I think that the local school and other authorities have indeed broken the law, and if not, this case indicates that the law needs to be re-written.

May I ask what religion and denomination are the Johanssons members of?

 

[Yellow_Belle]

I believe JW’s have that right actually.

Not in my country, they don’t.

Parents have a right to not vaccinate their children.

And they have a responsibility to ensure that they look after their child’s health. Plus they have an additional responsibility to ensure that other children and adults are protected from any disease their child might contract.

You can get a vaccination and still die from the disease.

But it is much more likely that you will die from a disease that you have not been vaccinated against

Plus, diseases in India are different than diseases in Sweden.

I made exactly that point if you had read my response to you with any kind of attention. And the child in question hadn’t been vaccinated against any of those diseases, either.

Also, that blog you linked to made a huge deal that they were going to be “living in poverty in India.” Much of that blog was about the fact that they would be in a poor country.

You seem to be obsessed with this, as if it were some kind of personal insult that the blogger would make this point. I lived in poverty in a poor country for most of my life. That’s a fact, why should I take umbrage at someone pointing that out? That this family would be living in poverty in India is very relevant: hasn’t India got enough people of its own living in poverty and malnutrition without importing some more, with no means of support for a child who has no immunity whatsover against such delightful diseases as Hepatitis A, Hepatitis B, Polio, Typhoid, Yellow Fever, Tetanus, Rabies and Diphtheria to mention but a few? Did you know that 5000 children under the age of 5 die every day in India from preventable causes?

You make much of parental rights: what about parental responsibility?

 

[steveandersen]

I guess the definition of center right in Sweden = Police state if you dont toe the line.

right wing governments becoming police states is not unheard of
governments of all political stripes have sometimes used “security” as an excuse for all sorts of behavior
but I don’t see Sweden as a such a place

and what do you mean “don’t toe the line”? you may or may not agree with a government’s laws but any governmetn that failed to enforce it’s laws is a recipe for disaster.

I don’t know the details of this case but I’m with Yellow Belle on the importance of vaccinations

 

[LittleSoldier]

Thanks for taking the time to share all this information with us, Margaret. Having one’s child wrongfully taken is surely the ‘stuff of nightmares’.

Please keep us posted with additional details as they come to light.

You might also consider starting a thread in the Prayer Intentions section, if you haven’t already done so: forums.catholic-questions.org/forumdisplay.php?f=86 . I have no doubt that CAF’ers would respond wholeheartedly with prayers for this terrible situation.

God bless you, and God bless this family.

Unfortunately similar actions also occur in the U.S., although I’m not aware of children being removed because of home schooling. My son was illegally removed from my care and I was charged with child abuse, even though I had only held him once (with a nurse present) after his difficult birth before he was taken by ambulance to Children’s Hospital because of his extremely poor health. In court nobody would admit to claiming I had abused my child and the charges were dropped. However my ex in-laws lied in sworn depositions and Children’s Services representatives told me that if I did not sign voluntary papers relinquishing custody of my son, they would make sure my Mother did not leave the witness stand alive.

They may as well have held a gun to my head. I signed the papers.

Please, I don’t mean to detract from the issue being discussed. My only reason for posting is so that you all will be aware that it happens in the U.S. It still breaks my heart because I miss my son who is now 27 and could have children of his own and that my parents never got to see their first grandchild again. They have both passed on.

Cases like this cause immense pain for parents and children who are torn from each other. It’s not right and it’s not fair and many times it’s not legal.

I will pray for this family. I can’t read the rest of this thread because it’s too painful for me.

 

[1voice]

right wing governments becoming police states is not unheard of
governments of all political stripes have sometimes used “security” as an excuse for all sorts of behavior
but I don’t see Sweden as a such a place

and what do you mean “don’t toe the line”? you may or may not agree with a government’s laws but any governmetn that failed to enforce it’s laws is a recipe for disaster.

I don’t know the details of this case but I’m with Yellow Belle on the importance of vaccinations

Destroying the family unit over a vaccination is over the top… no matter what the law says.

Disease should be controlled for sure … but it looks as if the Govt used an axe where a scalpel was needed.