Belgium has been found guilty of crimes against humanity for the kidnapping of mixed-race children in the Congo, the first time the country is held accountable for its actions as a colonial power.
In a final ruling on Monday, the Brussels court of appeal found that the abduction of mixed-race children “is an inhumane and persecutory act constituting a crime against humanity” and ordered the Belgian state to pay a compensation of €50,000 to each of the plaintiffs. The ruling overturned a previous judgment in favour of the Belgian government.
“It is truly a historic judgment,” Michèle Hirsch, lawyer for the five plaintiffs, told the Financial Times. “It has never been ruled before that a crime of colonisation was a crime against humanity.”
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