Eight adoptees from South Korea are suing two non-profits and the Belgian State following revelations about the illegal nature of their adoption.
After the Korean War, tens of thousands of South Korean children were adopted by parents living outside of the country. Three years ago, South Korea set up a Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate misconduct throughout the adoption process.
The Commission has revealed fundamental human rights violations in the form of children forcibly taken away from their biological parents and a chain of non-profit organisations that benefited financially from the adoption process.
The Belgian State was aware of Belgian organisations' involvement and "even sponsored" the flights that brought children into the country, according to lawyer Walter Damen.
"The eight adoptees are filing complaints against two non-profit organisations, Terre des Hommes and Enfants du Monde," he told De Standaard on Thursday.
'Children sometimes actually stolen'
"The stories are harrowing," Damen said. "These children were sometimes actually stolen. Often their parents were told they were dead. Birth dates were falsified and medical information was withheld. Our complaint includes charges of document forgery, human trafficking, use of false documents, criminal organisation, child abduction and the involvement of intermediaries for financial gain. Fundamental human rights have also been violated. The offences occurred between 1970 and today."
"We are also filing a complaint against the Belgian state for neglecting to monitor the activities of these non-profits," the lawyer continued. "The Belgian Government was aware of these malpractices. Official documents reveal multiple contacts with the South Korean government to report these issues. But they took no action to stop this international child trafficking from South Korea."
The collective complaint has been filed with an investigative judge in Brussels.
