A gay couple fighting to take their surrogate baby home from Thailand will now have to go to court after mediation talks with the Thai surrogate mother failed.
Gordon Lake, an American, and his Spanish husband, Manuel Valero, say they will bring a legal suit against the mother, Panitta Kusonsrang, and Wiruthai Maneenutnet, director of the Association of Women Lawyers of Thailand, for libel and violation of the Computer Act after the two women gave an interview to Thai TV saying Lake was a human trafficker.
Talks between the two sides yesterday broke down as Panitta said she wanted to raise baby Carmen herself, Thai PBS reported.
The couple claim Panitta changed her mind about the surrogacy agreement and refused to sign release papers allowing them to take Carmen out of the country after she discovered the couple were gay.
Thailand brought in a law in February banning foreigners from using Thai surrogates, but Panitta was already pregnant with Carmen by this point.
The charges filed against the two women will be heard in court next March.
Related:
Reader Interactions