Sweden child custody case: Diaspora ministry asked to take action
Kolkata, June 12 (IANS) The Overseas Indian Affairs ministry has been asked to take action for release of an NRI mother's son from custody of Swedish authorities in Gotland, close on the heels of the successful diplomatic efforts that led to the return to India of another NRI couple's children from forced foster care in Norway. In a communication to the joint secretary of the ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs, under-secretary in the home ministry S.R. Meena forwarded the complaint from NGO India's Smile and sought "appropriate action in the matter". A copy of the communication is with IANS.
News Track India, newstrackindia.com - 12 Jun 2012
Government looking into NRI child's Swedish custody
Kolkata, June 7 (IANS) After over a month's efforts by a local NGO for the release of an NRI mother's son from the custody of Swedish authorities in Gotland, the Indian external affairs ministry has said it is now looking into the matter, including the legal aspects.
The incident came to light after Fam Christer Johansson and his NRI wife Annie Johansson (Nirmal Kumar Bharos) wrote to a city-based NGO India's Smile that their 11-year-old son Domenic has been taken into custody by the child welfare services of the European nation in 2009.
News Track India, newstrackindia.com - June 7, 2012
NRI child in Swedish custody. Indian govt to intervene
Kolkata:After over a month’s efforts by a local NGO for the release of an NRI mother’s son from the custody of Swedish authorities in Gotland, the Indian external affairs ministry has said it is now looking into the matter, including the legal aspects.
The incident came to light after Fam Christer Johansson and his NRI wife Annie Johansson (Nirmal Kumar Bharos) wrote to a city-based NGO India’s Smile that their 11-year-old son Domenic has been taken into custody by the child welfare services of the European nation in 2009.
First Post, firstpost.com - Jun 7, 2012
MEA gathering information on boy taken in custody in Sweden
Kolkata, June 6 (PTI) The External Affairs Ministry has told Ranjana Kumar, mother of NRI Annie Johansson whose 11-year-old son Domenic has been taken in custody by Social Welfare Board in Sweden in 2009, that the government was gathering information on the matter, including legal aspects. ''Full information regarding the case is being gathered, including legal aspects, so that the Government of India can decide on its future course of action. You will be kept informed of further development,'' Tarika Roy, Director (central Europe) of MEA, said in a communication to Ranjana Kumar at her Ahmednagar residence in Maharashtra. Kumar had written to the MEA on behalf of her daughter requesting for intervention for Domenic's release from the custody of the Social welfare Board in Gotland, Sweden.
IBN Live, ibnlive.in.com - Jun 06,2012
West Bengal governor urged to take up detention of Domenic Johansson
Kolkata, June 2: West Bengal Governor M K Narayanan has been urged to take up the alleged detention of an 11-year-old boy in Sweden, months after the boy’s mother sought Indian’s government’s intervention in the matter.
Kolkata-based NGO “India’s Smile”, which claimed to have brought to light the custody row over the Swedish boy Domenic, similar to the recent NRI couple custody row in Norway, said on Friday it had forwarded to the Governor a copy of a letter from Fam Christer Johansson, father of the boy in Sweden, for his intervention.
The NGO quoted a reply from Raj Bhavan to say that the Special Secretary to the Governor had forwarded the letter to the External Affairs Ministry Secretary a copy of the NGO’s memorandum (dated April 26) for consideration.
Pravasi Today, pravasitoday.com - June 2, 2012
Understanding and Responding to Child Confiscation by Social Service Agencies
By Suranya Aiyar
One of the many disturbing discoveries from the story of the Bhattacharya children (Aishwarya and Abhigyan) who were taken into foster care in Norway is that this was no anomaly. Social services agencies functioning on the same principles as the Norwegian Child Welfare Service (CWS) exist in many parts of Europe, notably Sweden, the United Kingdom, Switzerland and Germany, and also in the United States. So Indians living abroad may be certain that the Bhattacharya case is not the last of its kind.
Pravasi Today, pravasitoday.com - May 9th, 2012
Norway and Sweden – Where inhuman rights prevail
By Siv Westerberg
For the last 30 years I have devoted a lot of time to helping parents get their children back after the Swedish state has committed the same cruelties to them as the Norwegian state did to the Indian family recently.
Sweden and Norway have similar legislation and similar legal usage concerning family law. In my law-practice in Sweden I therefore follow with interest what happens in that field in Norway also and recognise many issues in Norwegian cases from similar cases in Sweden.
I have brought some of my Swedish cases concerning compulsory taking of children into care to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in Strasbourg, (http://www.echr.coe.int/echr).
Pravasi Today, pravasitoday.com - May 7, 2012
From Sweden, without love
By Christopher C M Warren
Domenic Johansson, Homeschooling, Mother India and the Swedish Gulag
In what is being described by some as the Swedish Government’s biggest blunder in modern times, a little half-Swedish, half-Indian boy called Domenic Johansson is standing in the middle of a political tsunami that threatens to rip apart the myth of the ‘Swedish Utopia’ and expose the Scandinavian régime as one of the worst and most systematic violators of human rights in Western Europe.
Pravasi Today, pravasitoday.com - May 5, 2012
Couple in Sweden seek Indian help to get back son from foster care
By Ananya Dutta
KOLKATA. Close on the heels of expatriate couple Sagarika and Anurup Bhattacharya's children — who were in foster care in Norway — being returned to the family following protracted diplomatic efforts, a couple in Sweden are pinning its hopes on the Indian government to get back their son, who is also in foster care in Sweden.
Domenic was taken away from his parents, India-born Annie and Christer Johanson, by the Swedish Social Services in June 2009, when he was seven. The family was in a plane waiting for the flight to India to take off from the airport at Stockholm when policemen entered the aircraft and asked them to de-board.
The Hindu, thehindu.com - May 4, 2012
Son held in foster care: Swede seeks Indian citizenship
Kolkata. The Swedish father of an 11-year-old boy of Indian origin being held in foster care in Sweden for the last three years has expressed willingness to apply for Indian citizenship.
The boy, Domenic Samuel Johansson, was born of an NRI mother Annie, formerly known as Nirmalkumar Bharos from Pune.
Deccan Herald, deccanherald.com - May 4, 2012 (PTI)
Norway-like child custody row in Sweden
By Rajeev Sarkar
KOLKATA: Close on the heels of the Norway child custody row, a similar case has come to light in Sweden where an NRI woman has claimed that her son is being held in foster care on charges of neglect and sought help from Indian authorities.
Times of india, timesofindia.indiatimes.com - May 3, 2012
Exclusive: ‘Corrupt social workers make up just any story to keep the child’
Exclusive interview to Amit Guin
Another child custody row, this time in Sweden where Domenic Johansson has been held by the Swedish Gotland Municipal Social Welfare Committee. In this exclusive interview to Amit Guin, Domenic’s father Christer Johanssonreveals all that has happened till now
Pravasi Today, pravasitoday.com - May 3, 2012
After Norway, child of Indian-origin parents taken away in Sweden
By Soudhriti Bhabani
After the homecoming of two Norway toddlers Abhigyan and Aishwarya last week, another Indian mother Annie 'Kumar' Johansson is crying out to get her 11-year-old boy back. The child is allegedly being held by the Swedish authorities.
India Today, indiatoday.intoday - May 2, 2012
NRI in Sweden claims son being held in foster care
Press Trust of India
Kolkata: Close on the heels of the Norway child custody row, a similar case has come to light in Sweden where an NRI woman has claimed that her son is being held in foster care on charges of neglect and sought the help from Indian authorities.
Inspired by the recent release of Abhigyan and Aishwarya by a Norwegian civil court and their return to India with their uncle and sole custodian, the NRI mother, Annie Johansson - whose earlier name was Nirmalkumar Bharos - has approached Abhigyan and Aishwarya's parents, Anurup and Sagarika Bhattacharya, to help her get custody of her 11-year-old son Domenic held in Sweden's foster care.
Ms Johansson's son is being held by the Swedish Gotland Municipal Social Welfare Committee, Kolkata-based NGO India's Smile, which has claimed to have brought to light the custody row over the two NRI children in Norway, told PTI.
NDTV, ndtv.com - May 02, 2012
Norway kid row replay in Sweden
By Soudhriti Bhabani
Domenic Johansson looks a shadow of his former self and his mother is in depression. Three years ago, the Swedish authorities took him away from his parents, Annie Kumar Johansson and Christer Johansson, allegedly because he had yellow teeth.
The Daily Mail, dailymail.co.uk - 2 May 2012
Swedish child row: Parents write to PM, President
Alpha News, alpha.newsx.com - April 29, 2012
NRI mother separated from her child by Swedish authorities
Alpha News, alpha.newsx.com - April 28, 2012
Post Norway, another custody row in Sweden
PTI
With the custody row with Norway over two Non-Resident Indian children settled, an Indian mother in Sweden has sought the Indian government's intervention for custody of her 11-year-old son allegedly being held by the Swedish authorities.
Rediff News, rediff.com - April 25, 2012
Norway episode plays out in Sweden too
Kolkata. With the custody row with Norway over two NRI children settled, an Indian mother in Sweden has sought the Centre’s intervention for the custody of her 11-year-old son allegedly being held by the Swedish authorities.
Deccan Herald, deccanherald.com - April 25, 2012
The Dominic Johansson Case: Home schooled boy snatched from plane in Sweden
A collection of articles in different media, September 7, 2009 --
Gotlandsfallet: Sjuåringen hämtades med polispådrag från flygplanet
En serie av artiklar i olika media 2009-08-05 --
Friends of Domenic Johansson Blog spot
Daniel Hammarberg's address: State of the Swedish Child Welfare
YouTube.com
The Madhouse: A Critical Look at Swedish Society
By Daniel Hammarberg
Indian geoscientist's children confiscated by Norway's "child protection services"
A collection of articles from media sources, 21 December 2011 --
The Alexander Aminoff Case
By Sven Hessle
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