Madonna begged: `Show Mercy`

MADONNA is facing legal action from the family of adopted daughter MERCY, who claim they have not seen her since her adoption in 2009.

The relatives of the five-year-old say the singer, who found her in an orphanage in Malawi, has broken a promise to allow them regular access.

And they claim that she has made no effort to set up a reunion, despite travelling to Malawi with Mercy on two occasions since.

Now the 53-year-old star faces a court case after the tot`s natural family sought help from a civil rights charity.

EMMIE CHANIKA of the group, CILIC, said: "Mercy`s family have met me several times over the past year and they have been very upset.

"They have a strong recollection of being told that they would be able to see Mercy and have regular contact with her - and that when she is an adult she will return to live with them in Malawi."

"I believe they have a case in law because there appears to have been a verbal contract between them and Madonna`s representatives.

"None of us desires an embarrassing and expensive court case which could humiliate or inconvenience Madonna. The best outcome would be a proper agreement to let Mercy meet her family on a regular basis."

Mercy`s mother died of blood loss shortly after she was born.

The child then lived with her grandmother LUCY CHEKECHIWA, who took her to the orphanage when she could no longer afford to care for her.

Chekechiwa and her sons made regular visits to see her before the adoption and she recently made a moving plea to the singer.

She said: "We live a very simple life with little money and we felt [Mercy] would be better in the orphanage for her first few years.

"We know Madonna gave a lot of money to the orphanage, and the people there persuaded us to let her have our child. But she cannot love Mercy more than I love her, that is not possible. We are just asking her to be humane."

Mercy was the second child adopted from Malawi by the Ray Of Light singer, after she brought DAVID BANDA, now 4, home in 2006.

She has two natural childrem, LOURDES, 14, and ten-year-old ROCCO.

Madonna was recently criticised by the Malawian government after backing out of plans to build a £9 million academy for girls in the Mercy`s homeland.

Instead, she plans to build a series of smaller school across the country.

sections: Celebrities