'We have to do everything to find out the truth': Govt defends itself on illegal adoptions case
Today in the newspaper Le Soir:
POLICY:
'We have to do everything to find out the truth': Govt defends itself on illegal adoptions case
Foreign Affairs Minister responds on handling of illegal adoptions file. Hadja Lahbib will produce, she says, the findings of research in the ministry's archives in the new school year. What about the expected report on adoptions? Justice is working on it.
Image : BELGIAN.
Concerning the case, Prime Minister Hadja Lahbib explained to operate as soon as she can.
Journalist at the Political Service
By David Coppi
Published on 07/18-2023 at 19:11
Reading time: 2 min
A word to the defense. Meanwhile, to the representatives of the federal government, pointed the finger in this file concerning illegal adoptions in Belgium.
On Tuesday in the Chamber, called again by Yngvild Ingels, MP N-VA, Hadja Lahbib (MR), Minister of Foreign Affairs, explained herself. We realised the 'problem' in our previous editions. To know, in particular, and very succinctly... : quid of the resolution voted in the House more than a year ago, calling for an investigation into this issue and to submit a detailed report at the end of the 2022- 2023 parliamentary session? When will there be an in-depth search in the Foreign Affairs archives? Let's see...
The Foreign Affairs Minister cut off as much as she could in commission on Tuesday. Philosophy: "We must do everything to discover the truth." "In fact, Hadja Lahbib will specify from the beginning that the skills of Foreign Affairs are limited for the moment, that the Justice operates in the frontline, under the supervision of Vincent Van Quickenborne (Open VLD). It's up to her, above all, to act
"This is a question of justice and humanity"
Regarding her department, Hadja Lahbib says to operate as soon as she can, for example in essence: "Yesterday again, I started a negotiation mechanism with my counterpart from Guatemala. The first topic we discussed was adoption. Some of the children adopted in Belgium are from Guatemala. My counterpart is ready to collaborate, our diplomatic post in Panama will follow up. »
'I've looked at the documents myself, they have some disturbing and shocking elements about adoptions, it's part of the puzzle'
Hadja Lahbib, Minister of Foreign Affairs
Same thing: "As we had an interview with Mrs. Coline Fanon of the Lost Racines Foundation, I will propose a new meeting with active and concerned associations." And, by the way, I propose to present you in mid-September the results of a new research in the Foreign Affairs archives. "This is a key point." The Minister is indeed criticized for stating here in Parliament, basically, that there was no useful information in the Foreign Affairs archives, but... "Archivists carried out further research and in early July they reported to me that some things had been found in a document titled UN Children of the World, indicating that broader research is needed." I have asked my administration to concentrate on it, I will be submitting a new report on this on September 15. Hadja Lahbib added: “I’ve consulted the documents myself, they contain disturbing and shocking elements about adoptions, it’s part of the puzzle,” which she’ll help rewrite.
The minister still wants to "sensitize" our diplomats abroad, in particular about possible files or complaints in our embassies and consular posts.
She picks up politically: "The best way forward is to collaborate between all the authorities involved." It's a question of justice and humanity. »
A report back to school
Concerning "the instances concerned", the Justice - contacted on Tuesday, stingy in comments - is very direct. Parliamentarian Michel De Maegd delivers this information on Tuesday: "Recently, I had a long meeting in the cabinet of the Minister of Justice to give an update on the progress of the investigation called for the resolution (mid-2022, NDLR). I had to face an unfortunate reality: this one would not be ready for July 2023 as requested. The ambition is now to await the findings of the investigation currently underway at the the federation Wallonie-Brussels, at the start of the year, to then bring together the panels of Flemish and French-speaking experts who worked on the case to have a synthesis of the two reports and a federal report. »
Michel De Maegd, always and on the other hand, author of the mid-2022 resolution, (very) stabbed alive by our article the day before, which pinched him in the passage, tried to "straighten", claiming a "three-year fight by the side of the victims, it is often true behind the scenes," "hours of private auditions." For example: "At my initiative, the minister (Sophie Wilmès, before the arrival of Hadja Lahbib a year ago, NDLR) had personally received Coline Fanon, president of the Racines Perdues association and representative of many other victim associations, and this first contact allowed her to become aware of the fact that the magnitude of the phenomenon. Also: "On my own funds, I went, accompanied by Coline Fanon, to the UN Committee on Forced Disappearances to present the 2022 resolution. Following this meeting, the UN in turn adopted a resolution declaring among other things that illegal adoptions constitute a crime against humanity. "Which act.
Specific conclusion on the government's side? A back-to-school report is now being promised (due in July) about the same time as in-depth research in the Foreign Affairs archives. In opposition, Yngvild Ingels doesn't let go of the bone. To be continued.