Madonna says adoption was fully legal

‘Madonna and child: a morality tale’
The Independent dubbed the saga “Madonna and child: a morality tale,” and noted in an editorial that “reports that Madonna chose the child from a selection of orphans presented to her make the whole affair sound worryingly like a commercial process.”

Max Clifford, a celebrity publicist, said it was up to Madonna and Ritchie to “convince people that what they’ve done is right and that the way they’ve gone about it is right.”

Justin Dzonzi, a lawyer for a coalition of Malawian human rights and child advocacy organizations, said his group was concerned that no one explained the implications of the adoption to the child’s father, Yohame Banda. David’s mother died after giving birth, and the father — a farmer — had put his son in an orphanage.

Banda on Tuesday accused the rights groups of being “jealous of my son.”

“What’s their interest? I want David to have a bright future, not to live in this poverty,” he told The Associated Press in his village, Lipunga, 80 miles from the Malawian capital.

Malawian government officials said they had no objection to the adoption.

Some children’s advocates said the adoption brought welcome attention to the plight of millions of impoverished children in sub-Saharan Africa. The AIDS pandemic has left almost 1 million children orphaned in Malawi alone, according to the National AIDS Commission.

Madonna joins a growing list of celebrities — including Mia Farrow, Angelina Jolie and Meg Ryan — who have adopted children from developing countries.

Jonathan Pearce, director of the adoption-support group Adoption U.K., said celebrity adoption brought attention to the need for adoption — but could give the impression adopting a child was a simple process.

“I am sure there is a perception that you can just go out there and purchase a child,” he said. “Obviously that is not a good way to portray adoption.”

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