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| French charity workers stand trial on kidnap charges over 'Darfur orphans' | French charity workers stand trial on kidnap charges over 'Darfur orphans' |
| (30 days later) | |
| Six members of a French charity accused of trying to smuggle 103 children they claimed were from the war zone of Darfur, Sudan, into France for paid adoption went on trial in Paris on Monday. | Six members of a French charity accused of trying to smuggle 103 children they claimed were from the war zone of Darfur, Sudan, into France for paid adoption went on trial in Paris on Monday. |
| However, the two main accused were not in the dock, having announced they would not return to France from South Africa where they are living. | However, the two main accused were not in the dock, having announced they would not return to France from South Africa where they are living. |
| Éric Breteau, chairman of the charity L'Arche de Zoé (Zoe's Ark), and his partner Émilie Lelouch were arrested in October 2007 with 15 others at Abéché airport, on Chad's eastern border with Sudan. | Éric Breteau, chairman of the charity L'Arche de Zoé (Zoe's Ark), and his partner Émilie Lelouch were arrested in October 2007 with 15 others at Abéché airport, on Chad's eastern border with Sudan. |
| With them were 103 children, said to be orphans from the civil war in Darfur, who were being flown to Paris to be adopted by about 50 families from France and Belgium who had paid between £2,000 and £4,200 to adopt the youngsters. | With them were 103 children, said to be orphans from the civil war in Darfur, who were being flown to Paris to be adopted by about 50 families from France and Belgium who had paid between £2,000 and £4,200 to adopt the youngsters. |
| However, an investigation by Unicef and the Red Cross found that 85% of the children, aged between three and eight, still had living parents and were from Chad, not Sudan. | However, an investigation by Unicef and the Red Cross found that 85% of the children, aged between three and eight, still had living parents and were from Chad, not Sudan. |
| In August 2007, two months before the arrests, the French foreign ministry had warned about the group, saying it could not be sure the children it intended to bring to France were indeed orphans. | In August 2007, two months before the arrests, the French foreign ministry had warned about the group, saying it could not be sure the children it intended to bring to France were indeed orphans. |
| After the arrests Chad state radio called the children "kidnapped" and said some had been bandaged to give the false impression they were ill or had been injured. On Monday, Libération newspaper described the events of 2007 as a "humanitarian fiasco". | After the arrests Chad state radio called the children "kidnapped" and said some had been bandaged to give the false impression they were ill or had been injured. On Monday, Libération newspaper described the events of 2007 as a "humanitarian fiasco". |
| Some of them were convicted of "forced labour" by the Chad authorities and sentenced to eight years in prison. They were transferred to jails in France and later pardoned by the Chad regime. | Some of them were convicted of "forced labour" by the Chad authorities and sentenced to eight years in prison. They were transferred to jails in France and later pardoned by the Chad regime. |
| At a court in Paris, six members of the charity – including Breteau and Lelouch in absentia; the group's doctor, Philippe Van Winkelberg, and a journalist, Agnès Pelleran, who was with the group at the time – faced charges of illegal involvement in adoption procedures, attempting to bring minors into France illegally, and fraud. | At a court in Paris, six members of the charity – including Breteau and Lelouch in absentia; the group's doctor, Philippe Van Winkelberg, and a journalist, Agnès Pelleran, who was with the group at the time – faced charges of illegal involvement in adoption procedures, attempting to bring minors into France illegally, and fraud. |
| About 20 of the 358 families that were on the charity's books, and who were expecting to welcome children into their homes, are being represented as civil parties in the trial. Their lawyer, Eric Dupond-Moretti, told the court some of them had already prepared bedrooms and cots for the children they expected to adopt and spoke of their "suffering". | About 20 of the 358 families that were on the charity's books, and who were expecting to welcome children into their homes, are being represented as civil parties in the trial. Their lawyer, Eric Dupond-Moretti, told the court some of them had already prepared bedrooms and cots for the children they expected to adopt and spoke of their "suffering". |
| "It was a scandalous exploitation of humanitarian action," he said. | "It was a scandalous exploitation of humanitarian action," he said. |
| The accused face up to 10 years in prison or fines. The trial is expected to continue until 12 December. | The accused face up to 10 years in prison or fines. The trial is expected to continue until 12 December. |
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