Belgium Ordered to Pay Reparations for Colonial-Era Kidnappings in Congo
A court ruled the forced removal of mixed-race children from their mothers during Belgian colonial rule as a crime against humanity, awarding damages to five women.
- The Brussels Court of Appeal ruled that Belgium's colonial-era policy of abducting mixed-race children in Congo constituted a crime against humanity.
- Five women, now in their 70s, were awarded €50,000 each in reparations for the emotional damage caused by their forced separation from their mothers and cultural roots.
- The court overturned a 2021 lower court decision, citing that crimes against humanity are not subject to statutes of limitations under international law.
- The children, born to black mothers and white fathers, were placed in Catholic-run orphanages under a state policy aimed at maintaining racial segregation and white supremacy.
- This landmark ruling is the first time Belgium has been held legally accountable for colonial-era crimes, highlighting the broader legacy of its brutal rule in Africa.
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