The Court of Appeals in Brussels has established the precedent that Jewish children who were sheltered in non-Jewish homes during the Nazi occupation should be returned to Jewish custody, it was reported today by the World Jewish Congress.
The court’s decision was based on the case of 14-year-old Anna Epstzajn, who was sheltered during the occupation by a family in Anderlecht, after her parents were deported in 1943. The parents have not been heard from since and are presumed to be dead. The child’s aunt, who was appointed her guardian, appealed to the courts when the foster parents refused to surrender the girl. A lower court decided in favor of the aunt, but the decision was appealed to the Court of Appeals.
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