London – Madonna forcefully defended herself from criticism by saying she acted according to the law in taking custody of a 1-year-old Malawian boy who arrived by plane in London earlier Tuesday.
Responding for the first time to the fierce debate about the legality and morality of the planned adoption, the pop star said she hopes to make the adoption of David Banda permanent after an 18-month evaluation period imposed by authorities in the impoverished southeastern African nation.
“We have gone about the adoption procedure according to the law, like anyone else who adopts a child. Reports to the contrary are totally inaccurate,” Madonna said in a statement, issued via e-mail after David joined her at her London mansion. Liz Rosenberg, Madonna’s New York-based publicist, said her client was referring to laws that applied in both Malawi and Britain.
Madonna said she and her husband began the adoption process “many months prior to our trip to Malawi,” but she had not disclosed their intentions because she wished to keep the matter private.
“This was not a decision or commitment that my family or I take lightly,” she added.
Last week, Malawi’s High Court granted Madonna and Ritchie an interim adoption order giving them custody of the boy for 18 months. Rosenberg said that during that time, the couple would be “evaluated by the courts of Malawi per the tribal customs of the country.”
The order waived a Malawian law requiring would-be parents to live in the country for a year while social welfare officers investigate their ability to care for a child.
