Croatians arrested in Zambia have evidence mothers gave up children, daily says

Croatian adoptive parents arrested in Zambia have proof that the biological mothers gave up their children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Jutarnji List daily said on Thursday.

The families of the eight Croatians arrested in Zambia on 7 December on suspicion of child trafficking are waiting to hear if the four couples will be remanded in custody or released on bail. A decision is expected to be made today by a criminal court judge in Ndola, Zambia.

The couples arranged with their lawyers to submit evidence that the children they adopted in the DRC met the requirements for adoption and that their biological mothers gave up parental care, the daily said, adding that the evidence has been gathered.

At a hearing earlier this week, a court-appointed defence attorney requested that the Croatian couples be released on bail, to which the state prosecutor objected, citing flight risk.

A ray of hope that the court could grant bail came from the prosecutor’s claim that in that case, the Croatian nationals must regulate their residence in Zambia for the duration of the trial, Jutarnji List said but added that, according to Zambian journalists, the chances for that are slim.

If the court grants the request, the bail amount is decided by the court, the daily said, adding that given the conditions in Zambian prisons and the fact that the arrested Croatians have difficulty communicating with their relatives, a bail release, even if temporary, would mean a lot.

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