Convicted pregnant Briton to return from Laos
Let me at the outset say that i think this is wrong and she should have spent her time in a Laotian jail...............................
A British woman who became pregnant in an apparent attempt to avoid the death penalty for drug smuggling in Laos could be home next week after an agreement was reached between British and Laotian ministers.
Samantha Orobator, 20, was instead sentenced to life after conceiving despite being held in a women-only jail wing. She is now likely to be transferred to complete her sentence in a British jail. She could be released within a few years.
A fellow British prisoner, John Watson, 47, who is reportedly the father of Miss Orobator’s child, can also apply for transfer under the memorandum of understanding, which was signed in Laos today by Chris Bryant, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office minister.
“I very much hope that with any luck Samantha will be able to return in the next week or ten days,” Mr Bryant said.
Miss Orobator is due to give birth in September and Mr Bryant said that it was safe for her to fly “only for another two weeks or so”.
Britain will be bound to uphold her sentence but it will be up to the High Court to set a minimum tariff. Miss Orobator is likely to be allowed to leave despite not having paid off a fine of more than £42,000.
“According to the law, of course she must pay all the fine and then leave Laos. But in this case, again because of her pregnancy, it’s a special arrangement,” Khenthong Nuanthasing, a spokesman for the Laotian government, said.
Drug traffickers normally face execution under Laotian law but pregnant women are exempt. Last month Miss Orobator was found guilty of trafficking 680g of heroin. As well as life in prison, she was ordered to pay a fine of 600 million kip (about £42,600). Today’s agreement comes after months of diplomatic efforts, urged on by Miss Orobator’s family and the legal charity Reprieve.
In May the Foreign Secretary and the Laotian deputy prime minister signed a formal prisoner transfer agreement. However, with the treaty not due to come into force for several months, ministers pushed for the fast-track deal before Miss Orobator gives birth.
Miss Orobator, who was born in Nigeria, came to Britain at the age of 8 and was brought up in South London.
Friends have claimed that she was never involved in drugs. She had told them that she was going on holiday to the Netherlands in July last year. The next they heard she was in jail in Laos.
Laotian officials have suggested that she obtained sperm from Mr Watson while mixing in public areas of the prison. Mr Watson’s mother has said that her son told her that Miss Orobator was having his baby.
Mr Watson was detained in 2003 and is also serving a life sentence for drug smuggling.
The Times
Oooops..What a conspiracy. Someone must have drop a package in her luggage.
Ofcourse she's innocent...
"Friends have claimed that she was never involved in drugs. She had told them that she was going on holiday to the Netherlands in July last year. The next they heard she was in jail in Laos. "
She's a mule and was caught in the act. And Loas is within the Golden Triangle.
donno if her side story is true, but this at least should be clarified.
1- what was she doing in laos in the first place while she said to be in holland?
2- DID SHE DO IT?
3- why the hack am i giving myself the trouble?
to hell with her! i'm outta here!
Clive Stafford Smith, the founder of Reprieve said yesterday "It's absolutely no coincidence that yesterday the Laotians announced that they were moving her trial up probably by a year to next week. It's pretty shocking that they would do that, apparently to avoid her seeing a British lawyer, before she has to go to trial. The notion that no lawyer should be appointed to defend her is outrageous."
It is understood that her trial was planned for next year but on Thursday 30th April the Laotian authorities announced that it had been bought forward to next week. Samantha has still not seen a lawyer.
What i cannot undertsand is why the British goverment has expended so much time and energy in expediting the release of this guilty person..
I also hope that all Laitians now convicted of crimes in the UK now will be sent home to complete their sentences..
did she do the crime?
i don't think the uk will get envolve to that extent unless there is some problem in the case.
-please clarify if possible; did she plead guilty?
-did the british have any remarks on the juridical procedure?
-was she tried by a military tribunal?
one thing is certain, british r not fools, and they must have thought like u just did!
Just amazing...;)
This was her way of avoiding the death penalty and it worked.
Shows the sort of person she is....tramp
Geee..how was the artificial insermination done in prison?
Nah, the Ashes are in the bag, even without our South African friend KP. Freddie's on fire
those lazy whining Poms... i hope they lose the Ashes as well..
xD
Another example of a useless immigrant costing the UK taxpayer money. The UK is full of sponging, good for nothing, lazy turds who
a)Come from overseas to live off the cushy benefits our pathetic government insist on dishing out and bring no skills to the country
or b)Are UK nationals who have a seemingly uncapped ability to push out child after child whilst claimimg thousands per month in benefits. What gets me is that they know that if they return to work, they will be worse off in some cases.
A couple in my home town have 7 kids, Sky TV, new car, go out every weekend....and neither of them works.
Lazy bastards
The hardworking families are being punished
Anyway............
This woman should have been put to death, as in the law in Laos.
I don't pay tax - not my problem ;oP
If the UK want to sort out her problems when she breaks the law of another country then they should foot the bill, otherwise stay out of it and let the Lao goverment carry out their punishment.
Now the bint will come back and be kept at the tax payers' expense, whilst her sprog is looked after.. She'll probabaly get a council house to boot..
I like the way they say 680g rather than OVER HALF A KILO!
I agree though, she should still have to serve the term laid down by the Lao judiciary, but at Britain's expense - Why should a Lao prison pay for her stupid crime!