Croatians in Zambia ‘child trafficking’ case granted bail

Eight Croatians facing child trafficking charges in Zambia were Tuesday granted bail following their re-arrest last week while trying to leave the southern African nation.

They were arrested last Tuesday for a second time after being taken into custody in December while attempting to leave Zambia with four children.

The group, comprising four couples, said they legally adopted the children from neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo but Zambian authorities have accused them of trafficking the minors.

They have been jointly charged along with a senior Zambian immigration official.  

ALSO READ: Uganda charges US parents with child trafficking in torture case

The prosecution had opposed the bail application, arguing that the eight were flight risks.

But magistrate Jennipher Bwalya said nothing excluded them from seeking bail if all conditions were met.

“I am inclined to grant the application as there is nothing in the law that stops foreigners from being granted bail,” magistrate Bwalya said on Tuesday in the northern city of Ndola, 300 kilometres (180 miles) north of the capital Lusaka.

They were ordered to pay 20,000 kwacha (about $1,000) each in bail fees and offer two sureties from reputable organisations.

ALSO READ: The rise in human trafficking must be curbed

Trial for the group, first arrested on December 7 last year, is set to commence on March 1.

Nothing has been said in court about the whereabouts or status of the children.

The case has sparked a fierce public debate in Croatia and thrust international adoption into the spotlight in the Balkan nation, where potential adopters vastly outnumber eligible children.

ALSO READ:10,000th victim of child sex abuse rescued, says Interpol