Trafficking Tragedies: Cyprus

Cyprus Parliament’s Human Rights Committee heard testimony about a possible “operation in Cyprus involving pregnant migrant women whose babies are adopted.”

“Some people are taking advantage of foreign pregnant women, taking them to flats where they are kept until they give birth and the child is given for adoption,” AKEL’s Pannikkos Stavrianos said. He said how these woman fall pregnant in the first place is among the aspects of the case being investigated.”

“[T]here seem to be three or four cases where the legally correct adoptive procedure was followed although police consider them suspect.”

“EDEK deputy Roulla Mavronicola said during the committee’s discussion the issue of surrogate mothers, which is not legal in Cyprus, had also been raised.

The discussion comes just two weeks after a police raid uncovered a likely a prostitution ring thought to date back to 2008.

A high-ranking police officer, a Chinese woman known as Nancy and two pensioners were arrested in relation to the ‘vice ring’ and a total of 46 immigrants were rounded up.

The trial of the high-ranking officer and Nancy is scheduled to start on May 30 at the Criminal Court.

“We have only dealt with the tip of the iceberg,” commenting on the prostitution ring and the police officer’s arrest, Kyriakidou said.”

Police investigating baby flesh trade
[Cyprus Mail 3/30/11 by Poly Pantelides]

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