Cambodian surrogacy crackdown: move to reassure pregnant women and families

Women expected to meet interior ministry and Australian embassy officials in wake of proclamation banning commercial surrogacy and three arrests

The Cambodian government has sought to reassure pregnant surrogates and would-be parents they will not face prosecution as it cracks down on the country’s fledgling commercial surrogacy industry, which was completely unregulated until a few weeks ago.

Last week anti-human trafficking authorities arrested Tammy Charles, an Australian who operates Fertility Solutions PGD, along with a Cambodian nurse and a commerce ministry official. According to the Cambodia Daily newspaper, all three have been imprisoned pending trial on charges of requesting false documents and acting as intermediaries between adoptive parents and a pregnant woman.

Fertility Solutions PGD was established in Thailand but began offering its services of matching families with surrogates in Cambodia, where officials began investigating its operations 10 months ago. The Cambodian Daily report said 18 women matched with families by the clinic were now pregnant.

read more https://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/nov/24/cambodian-surrogacy-crackdown-move-to-reassure-pregnant-women-and-families