Medical reasons prevented the Turkish couple, who have been living in Belgium for many years from having any children. Acquaintances bring them into contact with a Bulgarian woman, who is already six months pregnant. The woman, who lives in Bulgaria, already has eight children and is willing to give up her unborn child to give it a better future.
The man convinces his wife that the Bulgarian woman is his mistress and that she is pregnant with his child. In this way, he can convince her to accept the child and include it in their family. The Bulgarian woman comes to Belgium to give birth to her baby in late June 2020. No precise financial arrangements have been made, apart from agreement that the couple would bear all the costs.
Costs run to more than €5,000
The matter came to light when the man wanted to acknowledge the child. Ghent's population department smelled a rat and launched an investigation into possible concealed surrogacy. The investigation revealed that on several occasions the woman had asked for money to cover medical expenses but had then proceeded to pocket the cash. In the end, the couple paid the woman a total of more than 5,000 euros.
The court convicted the Bulgarian woman of degrading treatment because made money from her child and treated it as a commodity. The couple from Ghent was acquitted. The court accepted they were deceived by the Bulgarian woman even after the child was already born.
The baby has been staying with the couple in Ghent since birth but is under the supervision of a juvenile magistrate. The court believes the child is staying in a loving home. Meanwhile, the couple has now also started adoption proceedings.
