In a landmark ruling, a Belgian appeals court has declared the Belgian state responsible for the systematic kidnapping of children born to Black mothers and white fathers during the country’s colonial rule over Congo. The court’s decision comes after a case brought forward by five women who were torn from their families before the age of seven—a practice that was part of a deliberate government policy to erase their familial and cultural ties.
The court’s ruling, announced on Monday, condemned the abductions as “inhumane” and a “crime against humanity” under international law. It ordered the Belgian state to compensate the women for the deep psychological trauma they endured—highlighting the irreversible damage to their identities, their severed relationships with their mothers, and their disconnection from their cultural heritage.
This ruling overturns a 2021 decision that dismissed the case on the grounds of the statute of limitations, marking a major legal and moral victory for the victims. The women were among thousands of mixed-race children forcibly placed in Belgian orphanages and schools, where they were separated from their families and subjected to racial segregation policies.
Belgium’s colonial history in Congo has long been a point of contention, but in 2019, the country issued its first official apology for the abduction of children between 1959 and 1962. This latest court decision not only acknowledges the country’s dark past but also brings renewed attention to the enduring legacy of colonial trauma. The ruling is seen as a step forward in holding Belgium accountable for the systematic abuse of its former colonies.
