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Madonna given green light to adopt African baby
Last updated at 17:22pm on 12.10.06
Madonna and Guy Richie have been granted an interim adoption order allowing the celebrity couple to leave Africa with a one-year-old boy.
The decision by the judge at a Malawi court brings to an end 24 hours of uncertainty for the couple who both appeared in court earlier to convince authorities to sidestep strict Malawian law.
• Is this the baby Madonna plans to adopt?
Under Malawian rules, nobody can adopt until they have fostered a child for two years - while living in the country.
But this afternoon Assistant High Court Register Thomson Ligowe said Judge Andrew Nyirenda: "has just given out an interim order" that would allow Madonna to take baby David Banda.
The decision comes on a day the couple face a growing backlash from international agencies and social workers over the adoption.
Despite receiving the father's blessing, aid workers have attacked Madonna and Richie's adoption claiming that it undermines efforts to keep children within communities.
They argue that rather than whisking children off to a foreign land there should be more help directed towards helping extended families care for orphans.
Aids activists also claim that David, whose mother died shortly after giving birth, is bound to feel estranged and disorientated after moving from the poor village of Mchinji to America or Britain .
Bill Phillbrick of the Hope for African Children Iniative in Atlanta, America, told The Times: "International adoptions are not a solution. The answer is supporting the community."
Jackie Schoeman, executive director of Cotlands, a South African organisation that cares for children affected by HIV said: "For us, first prize is to place the kids locally or even regionally. If the only other option is for them to be in long-term institutional care, then we would consider international adoption."
Babies have become Africa's fastest-growing export. It has an estimated 43 million orphans, largely as a result of Aids.
The number of foreign adoption agencies in Africa have trebled in recent years as they capitalise on the demand from rich European and American families who are willing to provide homes and finance the substantial costs of cross-border adoptions. Madonna is set to release a video showing her adoption of the baby in a bid to raise money for charity.
Reader views (8)
Good on her at least she is doing her bit. She is also setting up a 2 million quid fund for the children left behind.
- Charmaine Clarke, London
My comments as a professor of Family Law: This is the first thing Madonna has ever done that I like. The child now has a chance in life. A bowl of gruel is no substitute for a home.
- Prof. M. R. Franks, Baton Rouge, Louisiana
...are we forgetting something here! An orphan kid is getting a good home. No matter whether Madonna is going about it as a publicity stunt, this kid is going to have a secure future and he could one day help his family. The fact that the media have already started their campaign to publicise his life is what might cause him to lose out on a proper future....
- Sherry, London
instead of helping just one child, why didn't she donate money to the orphange which will help improve the lives of more children?
- Sarah, London
Typical celebrities - shouting about how much they care without switching their brains on - pathetic. I wonder how much good they could have done with all the money that their ego trip cost.
- Edward Green, Upminster UK
I was outraged yesterday when I heard of Madonna's plans to adopt a baby from Malawi. What is so fashionable about uprooting and separating an already torn family and relocating a boy to England?
If Madonna did care about this child she could help the father rebuild his life and enable him to have the means to support his son. I admire her compassion in wanting to help impoverished children in Malawi, but if she genuinely wanted to help she could take aid agencies suggestions and put money into building the community rather than uprooting a small child. Furthermore who does she think she is 'selling her video of the adoption for charity' apart from glorifying her celebrity who stands to benefit from that?
I am outraged than an innocent child will be the subject of her latest fashion.
- Katie Musgrave, West Hampstead, London
He'll be young enough to get over the lifestyle and cultural differences. But what about the fact that he'll have a camera shoved in his face every day for the rest of his life? He'd be better off going to a stable non-famous family.
- Ellie, London
At long last somebody said the sensible thing about the whole shameful affair! These children very often have at least one parent or an extended family: they are not being "adopted" they are being snatched to become fashion accessories! Support the community and stop promoting yourselves!
- Rebis White, London
