A five-year-old girl from a Christian family had a "warm and appropriate" relationship with her Muslim foster carers, a court in London was told on Monday, October 2.
The girl was removed from her mother, a substance abuser, earlier this year because of fears for her welfare and was placed in the family's care in March by Tower Hamlets Council in east London.
Reports in The Times newspaper in August claimed the girl sobbed and begged not to be returned to the foster carer because "they don't speak English" and also claimed she had been forced to remove a crucifix around her neck.
But at Monday's family court hearing Judge Khatun Sapnara said the girl had said "she misses the foster carer and wants to see her again" and she was confident there had been a "warm and appropriate relationship."
Judge Sapnara said Tower Hamlets had made a "robust defense" of their handling of the case, following the press reports.
"The local authority has satisfied itself that the foster carer has not behaved in any way which is inconsistent with their provision of warm and appropriate care for the child," said Judge Sapnara, who said there had been "frenzied speculation" about the case.
She holds dual nationality of the UK and another country.
The court heard the girl's maternal grandmother wanted to take her to her country of origin if she was granted a permanent care order.
Tower Hamlets Council is set to publish an "agreed narrative of events" later on Tuesday, October 3.
Earlier this year it was reported the authorities in Sweden had placed refugee children in the care of foster families who had links to Daesh back in 2015.
