Madonna ‘will give twins a loving family’

United States pop superstar Madonna felt “compelled” to adopt four-year-old twin girls from an orphanage in Malawi after hearing of their plight through her charity work, court papers revealed on Wednesday.

The high court in the Malawian capital Lilongwe on Tuesday granted the singer permission to adopt the twins, adding to two other children she has already adopted from the country. Court documents detailed how the twins were taken in by the orphanage because their mother died soon after childbirth, their father left to marry another woman and their grandmother struggled to look after several children.

Some Malawian activists have criticised Madonna for allegedly bending the rules and for exploiting one of the world’s poorest countries.

But Judge Fiona Mwale said the singer would provide a loving family life for the children in “a luxurious, spacious and comfortable abode in an affluent neighbourhood” of the United States.

The ruling also said that Madonna, 58, was “above the age normally considered within the ranges of parenting” and had submitted a medical report to prove her good health.

Madonna’s adoption of David Banda in 2006 and Mercy James in 2009 from Malawi have been plagued by accusations from some biological family members over lack of contact with the children.

The singer, who was in court for the private ruling, set up a charity called Raising Malawi in 2006, and has been a regular visitor to the country.

Maxwell Matewere, the director of the Eye of the Child charity, said the singer should “take a different approach from adoption by supporting poor families with vulnerable children. Most families would love to raise their own children in a local environment if given the support.” — AFP