Belgium Ordered to Pay Reparations for Colonial-Era Abuses Involving Mixed-Race Women

A Belgian court has ruled that the Belgian state must compensate five mixed-race women who were forcibly removed from their mothers and placed in orphanages during Belgium’s colonial era. This practice, which occurred over 70 years ago, was deemed by the court to constitute a crime against humanity.

The Brussels appeals court ordered reparations to be paid for the moral damage these women suffered, including the loss of their connection to their mothers, their identity, and their cultural heritage. The court’s decision marks a significant legal victory for those who endured colonial-era abuses and acknowledges the ongoing harm caused by the forced separation of families during Belgium’s colonial rule, particularly in Congo.

These women, who were children at the time, had been taken from their families under a policy that sought to “civilize” the children of African women who had relationships with Belgian colonizers. The policy, which separated mixed-race children from their mothers, was part of broader colonial practices that deeply impacted the lives of many in the former Belgian Congo.

The ruling comes after years of legal battles and is seen as a significant step in Belgium’s reckoning with its colonial past. The women involved in the case are now receiving recognition for their suffering, with the court’s ruling acknowledging the deep and lasting harm they endured due to these practices.