In 2015, Barnevernet, a Norwegian family and child welfare services authority, removed five children from their parents due to physical abuse. Later it was reported that Norwegian authorities disapproved of the practices used for the upbringing of the children, which were based on pronounced Christian norms.
The Bodnario family’s case drew widespread criticism from family and child protection organisations who questioned whether the authorities acted on the principle of last resort. The fact that the youngest child was only three months old was especially controversial. Christian organisations argued that a parent’s religious beliefs cannot entail the separation of children from their family in any country.
The Bodnario family turned to the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in 2015 and initiated legal proceedings against the Norwegian authorities. Due to the prolonged procedure, an international rights activist organisation, ADF International, is attempting to help the family speed up the process. The expected date of the ECHR’s judgment is still uncertain.