VOA常速英语2007-Charges Filed in Chad Over Alleged Child Abducti

By Lisa Bryant
Paris
30 October 2007

Chadian authorities are charging 16 Europeans and two Chadians of being complicit or involved with kidnapping in relation to an effort by a French charity to fly more than a hundred children from Chad to France. For VOA, Lisa Bryant has more from Paris.

Chadian authorities charged six members of the French charity Zoe's Ark with kidnapping late Monday in the eastern city of Abeche, where they are being held after a failed attempt to fly 103 children from Chad to France.

According to news reports, Chad's justice minister said three French journalists and seven Spanish crew members from the flight will also face charges of complicity in the alleged¹ kidnapping. Those charged will reportedly be transferred to Chad's capital, N'Djamena, this week.

Zoe's Ark claims it was trying to fly orphans² from the war-torn Sudanese region of Darfur, across the Chadian border, to France where families are ready to care for them. But it does not appear the children are Sudanese, nor is it clear that they are orphans.

Chad's President Idriss Deby denounced the effort as "straightforward³ kidnapping." The French government has also harshly criticized the charity and is investigating its operations in France.

But the Spanish government has called for the presumption⁴ of innocence⁵ to be respected in the case. And Leonard Vincent, head of the Africa desk at the Paris-based Reporters Without Borders says the journalists should not be charged.

"We're trying to pass a message to the Chadian government;  we've been doing that since they've been arrested," Vincent said. "And this message is they are neutral, and their case should not be mixed up with those of the members of the association. It's very different. They are observers. They are not actors in this operation."

But Vincent says Chadian authorities are so furious at Zoe's Ark they are looking at every angle of the attempted operation.

The charges come at a delicate time. The European Union is preparing to send a peacekeeping force to Chad and the Central African Republic to assist refugees on the borders with Darfur. But French officials say they have received assurances from Mr. Deby that the Zoe's Ark affair will not affect these plans.

1 alleged   

a.被指控的，嫌疑的

参考例句：

• It was alleged that he had taken bribes while in office. 他被指称在任时收受贿赂。
• alleged irregularities in the election campaign 被指称竞选运动中的不正当行为

2 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。

3 straightforward   

adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的

参考例句：

• A straightforward talk is better than a flowery speech.巧言不如直说。
• I must insist on your giving me a straightforward answer.我一定要你给我一个直截了当的回答。

4 presumption   

n.推测，可能性，冒昧，放肆，[法律]推定

参考例句：

• Please pardon my presumption in writing to you.请原谅我很冒昧地写信给你。
• I don't think that's a false presumption.我认为那并不是错误的推测。

5 innocence   

n.无罪；天真；无害

参考例句：

• There was a touching air of innocence about the boy.这个男孩有一种令人感动的天真神情。
• The accused man proved his innocence of the crime.被告人经证实无罪。