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Belgium convicted for removing mixed-race children from mothers in colonial Congo: "A European first"

From VRT NWS · () Dutch

Translated from Dutch and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Context piece
  • Belgium's highest court has definitively convicted the Belgian state for forcibly removing mixed-race children from their Congolese mothers during the colonial era.
  • Five women, born between 1946 and 1950, who were taken to Belgian orphanages, will receive compensation for the suffering caused by their separation and the impact on their identity.
  • This ruling marks a European first, establishing a precedent for holding a European state accountable for colonial-era injustices and awarding damages.

The Belgian state has been definitively convicted by the Court of Cassation for the systematic abduction of mixed-race children from their Congolese mothers during the colonial period. This landmark ruling, a first in Europe, orders the state to pay damages to five women who were forcibly removed from their families in the 1950s and sent to orphanages in Belgium.

This is a great victory for justice and for the development of European law.

· Michèle HirschThe lawyer for the five women reacts to the Court of Cassation's definitive conviction of the Belgian state.

These children, known as "metis" children, were born from relationships between Belgian men and Congolese women. Belgian colonial officials, with the complicity of the Church, organized these abductions, often using force to separate children from their mothers. The Court of Appeal had previously ruled in favor of the women, deeming these actions "systematic child abduction" and crimes against humanity, which are not subject to statutes of limitations.

The state's appeal to the Court of Cassation has now been rejected, making the conviction and the obligation to pay compensation final. The women, now grandmothers and great-grandmothers, have fought for justice for eight years. Their lawyer, Michèle Hirsch, hailed the decision as a "magnificent victory" for justice and the development of European law, expressing admiration for the Belgian judiciary.

My hat goes off to the Belgian justice system.

· Michèle HirschThe lawyer expresses her admiration for the judiciary following the landmark ruling.

This verdict is a crucial step in acknowledging and rectifying the deep wounds inflicted by Belgium's colonial past. It sets a vital precedent for other European nations grappling with their colonial legacies, potentially opening the door for further accountability and reparations. For the victims and their families, it represents long-overdue recognition and a measure of justice for the profound trauma of forced separation and identity erasure.

My 5 clients, today all grandmothers and great-grandmothers, have fought for justice for 8 years, and they have finally received it.

· Michèle HirschThe lawyer highlights the long struggle for justice by the victims.
About this summary

Originally published by VRT NWS in Dutch. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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