Cambodian surrogacy scandal flares again

BANGKOK: Controversy over commercial surrogacy has flared again in Cambodia with new arrests and disclosure of the secretive release from a Cambodian prison of Australian nurse Tammy DavisCharles.

In recent months, 43 pregnant Cambodian women carrying babies, mainly for clients in China, have been arrested.

There have been claims that some subsequently gave birth in custody while chained to maternity ward beds.

Meanwhile, a senior prison official yesterday told AAP that DavisCharles, who was arrested in November 2016 for running a surrogacy operation that catered for Australian clients including samesex couples, was freed on May 22.

However, her release was not publicly announced, and DavisCharles has not commented to the media in Cambodia or Australia about her time in the harsh Prey Sar Prison

DavisCharles, a former Melbourne nurse and mother of six, was in August last year sentenced to 18 months’ imprisonment for involvement in the falsifying of documents, including birth certificates, for surrogate babies.

She was in custody for nine months before sentencing.

DavisCharles (50) who had twin boys through surrogacy in Thailand, wept when convicted.

This week, Cambodian police released photos of eleven pregnant Cambodian women, some covering their faces, being arrested on October 8 at a wellappointed house in the capital, Phnom Penh.

In June, 32 pregnant Cambodian women, allegedly carrying babies for clients in China, were also arrested in Phnom Penh.

Surrogate babies born before January 8 this year, including for Australian clients, were legally allowed to be taken out of Cambodia if they received municipal court permission.

However, those removing surrogate babies born after that date face up to 14 years’ imprisonment for human trafficking.

Sam Everingham, from the Australiabased Families Through Surrogacy organisation, calculates that about 12 babies were smuggled out of Cambodia to Australia in 2016 and 2017. — AAP