Children stolen in Congo, adopted in Belgium: civil proceedings to highlight the responsibilities of the adoption chain and politicians

https://www.rtbf.be/article/enfants-voles-au-congo-adoptes-en-belgique-une-procedure-au-civil-pour-pointer-les-responsabilites-de-la-chaine-d-adoption-et-du-politique-11447830?fbclid=IwY2xjawF8FhFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHbdPu8ojbOHcANKkW88ZMACJuLcYyowy3-InWu3shsUXBXDJWA9MXrhYqA_aem_ul2FVO7OuooeU44zhk5cig

Sentenced  on Thursday to ten years in prison by the Namur Criminal Court for, in particular, kidnapping minors, hostage-taking and fraud in the context of international adoptions between the DRC and Belgium , Juilenne Mpemba from Namur benefited " from officials of the French Community, managers of approved adoption organisations and various personalities, a culpable leniency without which the defendant could not have acted as she did  ".

These sentences from the judgment did not go unnoticed, particularly by Mr. Vincent Lurquin. The lawyer for three Congolese biological families decided to initiate civil proceedings  so that decisions could be made on "  the responsibility of the entire Belgian adoption chain and of politics ."

As a reminder, a general dismissal of the case was pronounced by the Liège indictment chamber in September 2022, ending the charge of failure to assist a person in danger against, among others, the chief of staff of Rachid Madrane, former Minister of Youth Assistance, the director of the community authority at the time and the two directors of the adoption organization who supervised all the adoption procedures.

"It is time for politicians to take responsibility"

It is now at the civil level that this question of responsibility is posed.

" It is time for politicians to take responsibility in this matter ," added Mr. Lurquin, who specified that this new legal action will be carried out jointly with the adoptive families.

As for the intentions of the parents he represents, the day after the court recognized the abduction of their child, he recalls that  " the objective of the biological parents is not to take the children back. We do not erase 8 years. Today they are teenagers who no longer speak their native language. The objective is therefore to find a solution that would allow them to build a future with two families and quickly.  We have waited long enough, " he concludes.