Phnom Penh police arrested three people for their involvement in the trafficking of Cambodian surrogate mothers whilst the legal framework surrounding surrogacy remains uncertain in Cambodia.
The police arrested Tammy Davis-Charles, an Australian national and founder of the Fertility Solutions PGD Agency, and two Cambodian nationals working with her. These arrests are the outcome of an inquiry into the trafficking of surrogate mothers. In fact, the Australian agency recruited 23 women for surrogacy purposes in Phnom Penh and the Kandal provinces. Eighteen of them are currently pregnant and five babies have left Cambodia with their intended parents.
By virtue of Article 332 of the Penal Code, it is forbidden to act as an intermediary between the adoptive parents and a pregnant woman. The trio is also accused of being in possession of fraudulent documents and could face up to two years in prison.
ABC News (Anne Barker) 21/11/2016