The Belgian Catholic Church faces accusations of taking over 30,000 babies from unwed mothers, allegedly engaging in a scheme spanning from the 1950s to the 1980s.
Reports suggest mothers were anesthetized during childbirth, kept from seeing their babies, and subjected to mistreatment.
The church purportedly sold babies to adoptive parents for sums ranging from $275 to $825, without informing the mothers.
While an apology was issued in 2015, critics claim the promised investigation never materialized.
The Belgian parliament pledged to probe the matter, triggered by revelations from individuals like MP Vngvild Ingels, who was separated from her mother at birth.
The government, funding religious institutions, was already investigating widespread sexual abuse within the Church.
Pope Francis is scheduled to visit Belgium, but it’s unclear if he will address the adoption and abuse scandals.
