Cambodian Court Convicts 13 Pregnant Filipino Women of Human Trafficking in Surrogacy Case

Thirteen women from the Philippines have been found guilty of human trafficking in Cambodia, stemming from their intent to sell infants they were carrying via surrogacy. The Kandal Provincial Court announced they were handed a four-year prison sentence, with two years of the term suspended. The court stated it possessed compelling evidence indicating the women’s intention to have the babies “to sell to a third person in exchange for money, which is an act of human trafficking.” The women are not anticipated to commence their jail terms until after they have given birth. The court did not disclose the fate of the babies once born. Surrogacy is prohibited in Cambodia, yet agencies persist in offering this service. This particular instance was considered uncommon, as surrogates are typically engaged in their home countries rather than being moved internationally. Police discovered the women during a raid on a villa located near the capital, Phnom Penh, on September 23. Following their apprehension, Nicholas Felix Ty, an undersecretary in the Philippines Department of Justice, asserted that the women themselves were “victims of human trafficking.” However, Cambodian interior minister Chou Bun Eng dismissed this notion, stating she held the women responsible. Bun Eng also reported that four Vietnamese women and an additional seven Filipino women were apprehended; these individuals, not being pregnant, were deported. The court additionally reported that a Cambodian woman was imprisoned for two months and one day for her role as an accomplice, which involved preparing meals for the mothers. Developing nations are frequently sought for surrogacy due to significantly reduced costs. Cambodia’s commercial surrogacy industry experienced a rapid expansion in 2016, subsequent to the practice being outlawed in neighboring Thailand. Despite being outlawed by the Cambodian government later that same year, the industry persisted in flourishing. The AFP news agency indicated that Chinese couples typically remit payments to agencies ranging from $40,000 (£31,600) to $100,000 (£79,000) to facilitate a Cambodian woman carrying their child. In 2017, an Australian nurse who operated a surrogacy clinic in Cambodia was sentenced to 18 months in prison. The subsequent year, 32 surrogate mothers facing human trafficking charges in Cambodia were released, provided they raised the children themselves. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC is not responsible for the content of external sites. Read about our approach to external linking.