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Malawi court rejects Madonna's adoption bid

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Published Date: 03 April 2009
A JUDGE and a lawyer said today that Madonna's application to adopt a second child from Malawi has been rejected because of a requirement that prospective parents be resident in the country for 18 to 24 months.
The judge who spoke did not make the ruling in Lilongwe, Malawi, but saw it.

The lawyer was present when the ruling was made. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to discuss the case.

The 50-year-old pop superstar can appeal the ruling to Malawi's Supreme Court.

The residency rule was waived in 2006, when Madonna was allowed to take her adopted son, David, to London before his adoption was finalised in 2008.

It was not clear why Judge Esme Chombo ruled differently today. Another judge had handled Madonna's previous adoption case. Madonna was not in court today.

Madonna's efforts to adopt 3-year-old Chifundo "Mercy" James had drawn criticism from some activists who said the little girl would be best off with relatives. In court papers made public today, Madonna said Chifundo's grandmother was unable to care for her.

Madonna had promised to make Mercy a permanent part of her family and spare her the "hardship and emotional trauma" of life as an orphan.

The girl's mother, according to the affidavit, died at age 14 just days after her baby was born January 22, 2006. There was no mention of the father in the affidavit. The mother's brother is listed as having consented to the adoption.

"I am able and willing to securely provide for Chifundo James and make her a permanent and established member of my family," Madonna said. "To deny Chifundo James the opportunity to be adopted by me could expose her to hardship and emotional trauma which is otherwise avoidable."

Malawi's child welfare minister had endorsed Madonna's adoption application.

"We have close to two million orphans in Malawi who need help," Women and Child Welfare Development Minister Anna Kachikho told The Associated Press on Thursday. "We can't look after all of them as a country. If people like Madonna adopt even one such orphan, it's one mouth less we have to feed."

Critics accused Madonna of using her fame and money to fast-track the adoption process, but the singer said she had followed standard procedures. She faced similar allegations in 2006 when she brought home David, who is now three.

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  • Last Updated: 03 April 2009 10:44 AM
  • Source: scotsman.com
  • Location: Scotland
  • Related Topics: Madonna
 
1

Currylord,

Edinburgh 03/04/2009 11:37:30
What a vile creature this Madonna is! You can say what you like about her altruistic intentions - the bottom line here is that she is attempting to use her wealth and influence to obtain whatever she wants, even when those desires come in human form. If such mega-wealthy people concentrate their efforts on obtaining material possesions, then that is almost acceptable. However, it appears that this, "Material Girl" is no longer satisfied with the usual trappings of wealth such as large houses, cars, private jets etc and has to satisfy her power lust by taking her acquisitions one step further.
Madonna is supposed to have developed an instant bond with this little girl when she first met her during a visit to Malawi some time ago. Now that her adoption plans have been scuppered, it will be interesting to see if this bond extends to making sure that little Mercy is well looked after in her own country as she grows. Or will Madge simply walk away from the situation like she usually does whenever she does not get her own way? That will be the true test of how much love Madge genuinely has in her heart for this little girl.
2

Tartan Viking,

03/04/2009 12:21:39
Good decision by the court. Money can't buy you anything you want so sod off home.
3

go boil ur heid,

03/04/2009 13:05:11
maybe she might actually adopt a white child, or don't white children deserve a quality of life
4

El Franko,

03/04/2009 15:37:40
That's a shame. That was a great chance for the orphan.
5

Mikko,

Drumnadrochit 03/04/2009 15:49:08
What a sensible ruling. Can we borrow Malawi's judges to come and teach ours?
6

Armstrong Cowan Again,

Germany 03/04/2009 16:13:57
In any civilized country this would be the final decision. It is more than sick that people like Madonna think their material wealth can A) buy them anything they like and B) suffer under the illusion that material wealth is the most important thing under the sun. No doubt she would not even try to adopt a child in in the USA as she is too old, has a broken marriage and thirdly, probably has little time to spend on her 'baby collection` as she galavants around the world in a vain attempt to slow down her biological clock. It this worshipping of Mammon and the resulting imbalances in material wealth in ALL countries which is the root of this evil. If she wants to make a difference she should donate 95% of her cash to educational and health services in Malawi or Georgia for that matter. In saying that I do believe she has a genuine desire to help but this is not a solution.
7

Tartan Viking,

03/04/2009 16:41:30
#5 Good point, though I doubt Malawi's judges are handcuffed by the politically correct cr*p that blights our society. Therefore, they are free to make sensible decisions and not decisions that satisfy some looney bonkers brigade.
8

,

03/04/2009 18:15:35
Comment Removed By Administrator
Reason:
9

Tartan Viking,

03/04/2009 19:23:10
If this woman was genuinely interested in helping this child she would accept the position and sponsor her instead. This poor wee lass will spend the rest of her life wondering how life would have been had she grown up amongst the rich, so it is only fair Madonna recognises this and pays for her upkeep. If she did that then she would prove she had noble intentions.

 

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