Madonna has begun an appeal to the Malawi Supreme Court in Southern Africa, after the court rejected her bid to adopt three-year-old girl Mercy James, citing Malawi adoption guidelines requiring the adoptive parent to have lived in Malawi for at least 18 months prior to adopting. This requirement was waived when Madonna adopted David Banda in the same country in 2006.
To complicate matters further, a man named James Kambewa is claiming to be Mercy’s father, but no evidence has yet been shown to prove his case. The little girl’s teenage mother died shortly afterthe child’s birth.
“What I know is that she was not visited for the three years she was in the orphanage by anyone claiming to be a parent,” said Liz Rosenberg, a spokesperson for Madonna. “And I know that he wasn’t at court or represented regarding the appeal for the adoption.”
The Malawian attorney general’s office currently considers Chifundo’s uncle and grandmother as her legal guardians, both of whom are in favor of the adoption.
The Malawi Human Rights Commission and Eye of the Child are two groups submitting petitions to the court. While it isn’t clear what they will argue, the Malawi Human Rights Commission expressed surprise at the rejection of Madonna’s plea, but Eye of the Child has previously expressed that Madonna should be doing more to help the country’s needy children rather than adopting.
They will decide for good some time next week, but it’s looking as if little Mercy will be headed for the USA very very soon!
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