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17-year-old girl gives birth to twins as a surrogate, receives over 1 crore: ‘Woman are not vessels’
A teenage girl acted as both a surrogate mother and egg donor for a 50-year-old man, who allegedly paid her over 1 crore.
A 17-year-old girl from China’s Yi minority has given birth to twin boys after acting as both a surrogate mother and an egg provider for a 50-year-old man. The man allegedly paid her over 900,000 yuan (INR 1 crore), leading to widespread outrage and an official investigation, reported the South China Morning Post (SCMP).
The case came to light on March 24 when anti-trafficking activist Shangguan Zhengyi shared details on social media. According to his post, the teenage girl, who was born in May 2007 and hails from the Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture in Sichuan province, underwent the surrogacy process through an agency in Guangzhou. She gave birth on February 2 in Guangdong province.
The father of the twins, identified by his surname Long, is a 50-year-old man from Jiangxi province. According to reports, the girl was only 16 years old when the embryo was implanted. Documents shared by the activist, including the children’s birth certificates, a “guaranteed success agreement,” and other contracts, suggest that Long specifically requested twin boys.
Agreement
Long signed the surrogacy agreement with Guangzhou Junlan Medical Equipment Co Ltd for 730,000 yuan (INR 81 lakh). However, he ultimately paid more than 900,000 yuan (INR 1 crore). It remains unclear how much of this money actually reached the young girl. Since Long is unmarried, he allegedly posed as the girl’s husband to obtain birth certificates and household registrations for the children.
Following the public outcry, the Guangzhou Municipal Health Commission announced an investigation into the case. While China does not have a law explicitly banning surrogacy, several government regulations prohibit the practice.
Legal experts have raised concerns about the case. Wu Zhenhua, a lawyer from Beijing Yedi Law Firm, told Beijing Radio and Television Station that the surrogacy agency might be guilty of crimes such as illegal business operations and unauthorised medical practices.
“Organising minors to participate in surrogacy constitutes harm to minors and may involve trafficking of women and children or intentional injury,” Wu stated.
“The fabrication of documents and household registrations may violate laws against forging, altering, or trading official government documents. As for the male client, he may be considered an accomplice to crimes such as aiding illegal business operations or intentional injury,” he added.
The revelation has triggered a storm of reactions online. One concerned citizen commented, “Reading this news really broke my heart. As a mother, I know how exhausting and painful pregnancy can be. My daughter was born in 2008, and now a girl born in 2007 has already become a surrogate mother and had twins. This must be thoroughly investigated.”
Another social media user demanded stricter punishments, saying, “Women are not vessels. Medical institutions that facilitate surrogacy must face criminal charges. A fine of just a few thousand yuan is far from enough.”
