Australian fertility specialist who runs an IVF and surrogacy business in Cambodia arrested

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• Simone Fox Koob

   

   

  Journalist

  Sydney

  @SimoneFoxKoob

  

An Australian fertility specialist who runs an IVF and surrogacy business in Cambodia has been arrested and charged in Phnom Pen following the announcement of the country’s ban on the commercial surrogacy industry.

Tammy Davis-Charles has been arrested and detained by anti-trafficking police for allegedly running an illegal surrogacy service in Cambodia, and will face court tomorrow on charges of engaging in surrogacy and allegedly falsifying documents such as birth certificates.

The maximum penalty for the charges is two years in jail if found guilty.

She was arrested on Friday at a house along with two Cambodians.

Colonel Keo Thea, head of the Anti-Human Trafficking Office, told AFP she was arrested for “being an intermediary in surrogacy and for falsifying documents”.

“Australian people who wanted kids would contact her and she would charge US$50,000 for each request,” he said. It is alleged mothers in Cambodia were paid between $10,000 and $12,000 per child.

Tammy Davis-Charles.

Ms Davis-Charles, 49, is originally from Melbourne and lives in the Cambodian capital with husband Simon Davis and the couple’s 4-year-old twin boys, who they had through surrogacy. She is the CEO of Fertility Solutions PGD, which she began with her husband in Thailand. Her older son Dylan also works in the business, with his online staff profile describing as wanting to to “follow in his mothers footsteps”.

The couple began the surrogacy business in Bangkok but were forced to move it to Cambodia after the Thai government shutdown the industry last year. The Cambodian government followed suit this month, telling fertility clinics across the country it was now “absolutely banned”.

The arrest of Ms Davis-Charles is the first since the crackdown.

In June, Ms Davis-Charles wrote through her company Facebook page that surrogacy was “neither illegal nor legal” in Cambodia but urged prospective customers to “seek legal advice”.

In its most recent post on November 4 , the company said there were “lots of Rumours floating around at present about Cambodia (surrogacy) closing down”.

“The Government are reviewing laws. Honestly is could go either way,” they wrote. “Will let you know ASAP. Please be warned do not sign up with anyone trying to push you through!!!! As you will most likely be caught up in the end when baby is born, which becomes a nightmare.”

A spokesman for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it was providing consular assistance to an Australian woman arrested in Cambodia, but was unable to provide further information.

With AFP

 

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/world/australian-fertility-specialist-who-runs-an-ivf-and-surrogacy-business-in-cambodia-arrested/news-story/2475a7b036d7d37815f6e1f82687fed8