On September 17, the mother’s co-workers called the police after she did not come to work. A short time later, the mother was found dead in her apartment.
The police started a preliminary investigation into murder and since then several people have been detained, suspected of complicity in the crime. One of them is the woman’s husband, who is on probable grounds suspected of murder.
Shared custody
The couple had shared custody of the two children. But in 2022, the father left Sweden and, against the mother’s will, took the siblings with him and settled in Greece. The mother made several attempts to get the children back to Sweden.
This is clear from a judgment in the Court of Appeal, which states that after the murder of the mother, the children must be taken care of by the municipality where the children last lived.
– We have a good safety net in Sweden and there are good conditions for these children to have a good time in Sweden, says lawyer Per Atterfors Omstedt, who is the children’s deputy and legal representative.
The children would remain in Greece
When the case was taken up in the administrative court, the court considered that the care of the children should be handled by Greek authorities and not by social services in Sweden.
Per Atterfors Omstedt appealed the verdict to the Court of Appeal and was successful.
– As far as I know, these children have no connection to Greece, he says
After the decision in the Court of Appeal in mid-November, the social service in the home municipality sent the judgment to Greece. In order for the siblings to be extradited to Sweden, however, Greek authorities need to approve the Swedish decision.
– We can’t just go pick up some children who are under the care of another country, says a unit manager within the social services in the home municipality to SVT.
Awaiting notification
No word from Greece has yet come and it is currently unclear if or when the siblings can return to Sweden.
It appears from the judgment in the Court of Appeal that the father wants the children to remain in Greece and that they should live with a relative of his.
The murder charge is expected to be submitted to the Eskilstuna District Court in early January.
At the most recent custody hearing in early December, the husband denied any wrongdoing.