Human rights groups watch Madonna
Workers will visit singer's home twice monthly to see baby David
A High Court ruled that a coalition of human rights groups must monitor Madonna as she tries to adopt a Malawian toddler, the Associated Press reported this week. A summary of the AP story is below:
“High Court Justice Andrew Nyirenda ruled Wednesday that the Human Rights Consultative Committee and the state-run Malawi Human Rights Commission could join the adoption process as friends of the court and pursue their application for a full judicial review of the interim custody order he granted to Madonna and her British filmmaker husband Guy Ritchie.
The rights groups say they are concerned the government cut legal corners to fast-track the adoption. They said that while they do not object to Madonna as a prospective parent, regulations must be followed to protect children.
Yohane Banda — the 32-year-old biological father of 14-month-old David — said Thursday he hoped the celebrity case would lead to reforms to make it easier for foreigners to adopt Malawian children.”
"In Malawi, there are too many underprivileged children, most of them orphans. I appeal to rich people with Madonna's kind heart to come and adopt these children," he said from his mud-and-thatch village of Lipunga in the central border district of Mchinji, some 120 miles from Lilongwe.
He added that he had heard that David, whom he surrendered to an orphanage soon after his birth, was being sent to expensive schools and hospitals under Madonna's care in London, England.
"We are happy here," he said. "I know Madonna loves the child, I want to encourage her to keep on loving David."
Malawi regulations stipulate that prospective parents undergo an 18- to 24-month assessment period in the country. But Madonna and Ritchie were allowed to take David to their U.K. home, which Malawian child welfare officials will visit twice to monitor the family.
