STOCKHOLM, October 12, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Swedish authorities that seized a seven-year-old boy from his family because the parents chose to homeschool him are threatening the parents with permanent loss of their child and a complete termination of their parental rights.
Swedish police snatched Domenic Johansson, son of Christer and Annie Johansson, in June 2009 from an airplane bound for India, Annie’s homeland. The main reason for the seizure was that Domenic was homeschooled. Since then Domenic’s entire family has been denied virtually any contact with their son.
Domenic Johannson with his parents.
Domenic, now 9 years old, has been held in state foster care for more than 24 months.
In June 2010, the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) and the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) filed a joint application on behalf of the Johansson family at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) and have been working to support the family since shortly after Domenic’s seizure.
“The United States Supreme Court has called the termination of parental rights the family court equivalent of the death penalty,” stated Michael Donnelly, Director of International Relations at the Home School Legal Defense Association.
“The government shouldn’t abduct and imprison children simply because it doesn’t like homeschooling. That’s bad enough. But now the state is going even further by attempting to get the parents out of the way altogether,” said ADF Legal Counsel Roger Kiska. “This simply cannot stand. We will do everything in our power to help reunite this family.”
Both ADF and HSLDA are currently asking for letters to be written to Swedish officials and embassies in an attempt to renew attention to the family’s case and to encourage Swedish officials to release Domenic back to his family.
Prime Minister of Sweden Fredrik Reinfeldt
Mailing Address: Rosenbad 4, SE-103 33 Stockholm
Phone: +46 8 405 10 00
Email via website here.
Swedish Embassy in Ottawa
Ambassador to Canada Ingrid Iremark
377 Dalhousie St.
Ottawa, Ontario
Phone: 613-244-8200
Fax: 613-241-2277
Email: sweden.ottawa@foreign.ministry.se
Swedish Embassy in Washington DC
Ambassador Jonas Hafström
2900 K Street, N.W.
Washington, DC 20007
Phone: (202) 467-2600
Fax: (202) 467-2699
Email: ambassaden.washington@foreign.ministry.se
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Domenic was never home schooled. His parents applied for permission to home school only after they were charged with failing to send their child to school at the legal age required. Their request was denied, so they tried to flee the country. It's that simple.
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