Brussels, Belgium — In a landmark ruling, Belgium’s court of appeal has recognized five Congolese women, now in their 70s, as victims of “systematic kidnapping” during the country’s colonial rule. As children, the women were forcibly separated from their mothers and placed in Catholic institutions solely because they were of mixed race.
The Belgian state initially argued that these actions were not considered crimes under colonial-era laws. However, the court dismissed this defense, referencing Belgium’s commitment to the Nuremberg tribunal statutes. The ruling ordered the state to pay each woman €50,000 in damages and cover over €1 million in legal fees.
The decision sheds light on a broader history of forced removals and segregation under Belgium’s colonial policies in the Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi, where thousands of children of mixed race were targeted. The judgment has been hailed as a step towards justice and acknowledgment of the harm inflicted during the colonial era.
Human rights advocates view the ruling as a precedent for addressing historical injustices, while calls grow for further accountability and reparations for colonial-era abuses.
