Madonna looks set to gain custody of the two-year-old Malawian child David Banda five months earlier than anticipated.
A hearing which was originally scheduled for next April has been pushed forward to November, and it's expected that Madonna will be granted permanent custody of the child.In a move that outraged human rights groups, Madonna was granted temporary custody of David in October last year. The temporary custody was to have lasted 18 months, allowing Malawian authorities adequate time to judge the pop queen suitability as an adoptive parent.
Human rights lawyer Justin Dzoni claimed Madonna was receiving special treatment. "If this is true it would appear the rules have been bent," he said.
Simon Chisale, head of Social Services in Malawi, visited David last month and reported that the child was bonding well with his new family. He added that Madonna and 10-year-old daughter Lourdes were speaking to David in Chichewa, his native language. It's believed this visit was enough to convince Chisale that Madonna should be granted permanent custody of the boy.
