VOA常速英语2007年-Chadian Court Sentences French Aid Workers to 8

By Jade¹ Heilmann
Dakar
26 December 2007

A court in Chad Wednesday convicted six French aid workers belonging to the Zoe's Ark group of trying to kidnap African children, and sentenced them to eight years of hard labor².  A Chadian and Sudanese were sentenced to four years of hard labor, while two Chadians were acquitted³.  Jade Heilmann reports for VOA from Dakar.

The six French aid workers have been found guilty of the attempted kidnapping of 103 children. They had been arrested in late October for trying to illegally fly the children to Europe for adoption⁴.
 
Under a judicial⁵ agreement signed by France and Chad in 1976, the group could be repatriated⁶ to France.

Abdou Lamian, one of the defense⁷ lawyers, says he is disappointed.

He says the defendants⁸ had denied the charges against them throughout the trial, saying the children had been presented to them as orphans⁹ from the Darfur region. 

But on the fourth and final day of trial,  the group's leader, Eric Breteau, said he was sorry for having separated the Chadian children from their families.

Lawyer Lamian says he feels the defense team might as well not have come at all.  He says he felt the defendants had not been listened to and adds the sentence the court imposed is too harsh.

The prosecution¹⁰ argued Zoe's Ark did not have permission to take the children out of the country and tricked the families into believing the children were being sent to school.

Sudanese refugee Souleïmane Ibrahim Adam, who served as an intermediary for Zoe's Ark, was found guilty of  complicity and sentenced to four years of hard labor.
Mahamat Dagot, mayor of the Chadian town of Tiné where a majority of the children are from received the same sentence. 

Two other Chadian officials also charged with complicity were acquitted.

The court's sentence also awarded about $88,000 in damages to each of the 103 children. 

1 jade   

n.玉石；碧玉；翡翠

参考例句：

• The statue was carved out of jade.这座塑像是玉雕的。
• He presented us with a couple of jade lions.他送给我们一对玉狮子。

2 labor   

n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦

参考例句：

• We are never late in satisfying him for his labor.我们从不延误付给他劳动报酬。
• He was completely spent after two weeks of hard labor.艰苦劳动两周后，他已经疲惫不堪了。

3 acquitted   

宣判…无罪( acquit的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（自己）作出某种表现

参考例句：

• The jury acquitted him of murder. 陪审团裁决他谋杀罪不成立。
• Five months ago she was acquitted on a shoplifting charge. 五个月前她被宣判未犯入店行窃罪。

4 adoption   

n.采用，采纳，通过；收养

参考例句：

• An adoption agency had sent the boys to two different families.一个收养机构把他们送给两个不同的家庭。
• The adoption of this policy would relieve them of a tremendous burden.采取这一政策会给他们解除一个巨大的负担。

5 judicial   

adj.司法的，法庭的，审判的，明断的，公正的

参考例句：

• He is a man with a judicial mind.他是个公正的人。
• Tom takes judicial proceedings against his father.汤姆对他的父亲正式提出诉讼。

6 repatriated   

v.把（某人）遣送回国，遣返( repatriate的过去式和过去分词 )

参考例句：

• The refugees were forcibly repatriated. 难民被强制遣送回国。
• Ancient artworks were repatriated from the US to Greece. 古代艺术品从美国遣送回希腊。 来自《简明英汉词典》

7 defense   

n.防御，保卫；[pl.]防务工事；辩护，答辩

参考例句：

• The accused has the right to defense.被告人有权获得辩护。
• The war has impacted the area with military and defense workers.战争使那个地区挤满了军队和防御工程人员。

8 defendants   

被告( defendant的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The courts heard that the six defendants had been coerced into making a confession. 法官审判时发现6位被告人曾被迫承认罪行。
• As in courts, the defendants are represented by legal counsel. 与法院相同，被告有辩护律师作为代表。 来自英汉非文学 - 政府文件

9 orphans   

孤儿( orphan的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The poor orphans were kept on short commons. 贫苦的孤儿们吃不饱饭。
• Their uncle was declared guardian to the orphans. 这些孤儿的叔父成为他们的监护人。

10 prosecution   

n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营

参考例句：

• The Smiths brought a prosecution against the organizers.史密斯家对组织者们提出起诉。
• He attempts to rebut the assertion made by the prosecution witness.他试图反驳原告方证人所作的断言。