Justice Served: Belgium Held Accountable for Colonial-Era Abductions

The Brussels Court of Appeal held Belgium accountable for the abduction of 'metis' children during the colonial era in Congo. Five women, separated from their mothers, brought the case. The court ruled these acts as crimes against humanity and ordered compensation for the moral damages suffered by the plaintiffs.

The Brussels Court of Appeal issued a landmark ruling on Monday, holding the Belgian state accountable for the systematic abduction of 'metis' children—those of mixed European and African descent—from their mothers during the colonial era in Belgian Congo.

The case was initiated by five women who were forcibly removed from their mothers before age seven. The court recognized their abductions as part of a systematic plan executed by the Belgian state to separate children from black mothers and white fathers.

The court labeled the abductions as inhumane, constituting crimes against humanity under international law, mandating compensation for moral damages like cultural disconnection and identity disruption. The ruling also overturned a 2021 decision that the case was time-barred, following Belgium's 2019 apology for these acts.

(With inputs from agencies.)