Court 'blocks' Madonna's African adoption bid
Court 'blocks' Madonna's African adoption bid
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Friday, 03, Apr 2009 05:11
Madonna's attempt to adopt a second child from Malawi has been blocked by a local court.
Judge Esmie Chondo rejected the singer's adoption application over residency rules.
Madonna arrived in Africa last weekend to begin proceedings to adopt four-year-old Chifundo James, whose name translates as Mercy in English.
The adoption bid had been opposed by human rights and children's groups, but backing from a government official earlier this week appeared to suggest Madonna's attempt to adopt Mercy would be successful.
However, it has now been reported that a Malawian court has blocked her effort to adopt her second child from the country, after adopting David Banda in 2006.
While laws requiring an adoptive parent to have been resident in Malawi for 18 to 24 months were waived when Madonna adopted David, judge Chondo imposed the legislation in Friday's hearing.
The judge added that permitting Madonna's adoption of Mercy - who is now resident in one of Malawi's best orphanages - could have a negative effect on children's human rights.
"By removing the very safeguard that is supposed to protect our children, the courts by their pronouncements could actually facilitate trafficking of children by some unscrupulous individuals," she added outside the court.
It is not yet known whether the 50-year-old will appeal against the court's ruling and her representatives have not yet commented on the court's decision.
Court papers just released quoted the Like A Virgin star - who was not in court - as saying she was "able and willing to securely provide for Chifundo James and make her a permanent and established member of my family".
"To deny Chifundo James the opportunity to be adopted by me could expose her to hardship and emotional trauma which is otherwise avoidable," a statement added.
The Save the Children charity had last week that taking orphans abroad is "not a solution".
"For the most part so-called orphans in poor countries tend to have family still available to them, if not actually a parent still living," said spokesman Dominic Nutt.
"It is vital, we say, that children should not be taken abroad to be looked after but should be cared for in their own environment by their own community, ideally by their own family, particularly their extended family."