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Londoner 'got pregnant to avoid death penalty'
2 Jun 2009A British woman accused of drug smuggling in Laos told authorities she became pregnant in prison to avoid the death penalty, a Lao government-run newspaper reported today.
Samantha Orobator, 20, of south London, has been held in jail in the country since last August after she was allegedly caught with 1.5lb (680g) of heroin at Wattay airport in the capital Vientiane.
The Vientiane Times quoted police as saying Ms Orobator said she impregnated herself by another prisoner in an apparent effort to escape the death sentence.
Initially, it was reported she could face the death penalty if found guilty but it later emerged Lao law forbids the execution of pregnant prisoners.
It is not known who the father of Ms Orobator's child is. Her mother, Jane, said her daughter was not raped and the father of the child was not a Lao prison official.
Authorities in Laos have reportedly postponed her trial while they attempt to solve the mystery of how she fell pregnant in prison.
Last month Foreign Secretary David Miliband signed a prisoner transfer agreement with the government of Laos meaning any potential sentence could be served in the UK.
Reader views (37)
The mother's crimes aside, I just feel terribly sorry for the unborn child. What a burden to grow up with; what prospects for a good future.
- Norcot, Oakham UK, 03/06/2009 08:18
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Bravo, Mark from St.Albans - you're SO politically-correct! Are you angling to stand in the next election or something? If so, perhaps you could accommodate this young lady, who has made some "mistakes", along with however many offspring she ends up cranking out, in your second or third etc. home. Just don't be quite so generous with MY money and country.
If she goes anywhere - apart from a six-foot drop in Laos - it should be either Nigeria or Ireland. What's she got to do with us? We've got enough drug-pushing members of the immigrant underclass already!
- Croyboy, Croydon, 03/06/2009 07:59
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Samantha Orobator was born in Nigeria so why is our Governmentso concerned? She also left the UK and was roaming around the world,picked up with herion and became pregant in jail but our bunch of ultra leftists have taken it upon themselves to declare British. Does she hold a UK pass port? If not, she is not our concern. Why we are fighting for Nigerian drug smugglers in foreign countries is mind blowing.
- Dirk Diggler, Soho, London, 03/06/2009 02:51
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Sarah Bradshaw please think before clicking submit a person life is on the line. Mature people never judge a book by it's cover Facts is all the matters what your eyes look has nothing to do with this subject. You are acting like a blog troll seeking attention, grow-up or shut-up.
- Ge, The free people of Kernow, 02/06/2009 15:55
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Wow, what a nasty lot you truly all are! No objectivity here on this board that I can see just your home counties small time self loathing and hate. Thank god the witch finders are no more because we all know who would be doing the finger pointing!
- Gary, London, 02/06/2009 15:22
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Mark from St Albans most people have no time for junkies and decide not to comment so as not to cause offence to other readers, plus it would likely be banned. Whatever her sentence it will not be enough IMHO. I honestly do not think she is worth getting upset about for most people if she is guilty and IF sentenced to death it will not upset us. This has nothing to do with us she was smart enough to get into this mess she can get herself out of it. But by thinking getting herself pregnant will save her hide, I suspect she has really upset those passing judgement, that’s two dumb moves I am aware of by this person.
- Gary, brentwood, 02/06/2009 14:44
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Can someone explain to me why it's so wrong for me to comment on the appearance of someone when the article is illustrated with their photograph? What else I am supposed to do with the photograph, dribble over it? Ask where she got her yukky purple frock? Do you spend all your time complaining to journalists who pass comment on the looks of women in photos they feature? No, I'll bet you don't! And to Mark of St Albans - regrettably there is no function enabling me to attach a photo of my eyes but I can assure you they are flippin gorgeous.
- Sarah Bradshaw, Enfield, Middx, 02/06/2009 14:18
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I for one don't think we are getting the full FACTS about this person. How on earth does one impregnate oneself in prison? There is definitely more to this case than what we are being told.
That being said, she is accused of a heinous crime and you wonder where this is going to end. A sad indictment of the society we live in now that criminals seem to have more leeway than law abiding citizens...
She at least must stand trial.
If you can't do the time, don't do the crime.
- Ed Baines, London, UK, 02/06/2009 14:12
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I agree she does look a bit shifty. Those earring are hideous.
- Bob Todd, Prague., 02/06/2009 13:52
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I don't agree with the death penalty but i think she should serve her time in Laos as a deterent to others.
- Kathy, London, 02/06/2009 13:51
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Mark, St Albans
The only thing she regrets is getting caught! If she managed to smuggle the drugs she would be quite happily spending her cut with no thought of how many lives were being wrecked.
Wait until the baby is born, then proceed with the trial and punishment. Don't bring her to the UK; she's not British. Better still send her to Dublin (recently had a heroin explosion; connection?) where her Mum lives. Even better still let Mark from St Albans pay for her and her sprog's upkeep!
- Mark, South-East London, 02/06/2009 13:42
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- Mark, St Albans
Actually Mark I was referring to a recent news article which had a single teenage mother claiming that getting pregnant before she left school and spending the rest of her life on benefits added to the diversity of our society!
But you are right, I do think this heroin smuggler should rot in Laos.
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 02/06/2009 13:41
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Bring her back!!!
She's the knocked-up drugs mule of our hearts.
We Love you!
Orobator! Orobator! Orobator! Orobator! Orobator! Orobator! Orobator! Orobator!
- Mrsix, Paisley, Scotland., 02/06/2009 13:29
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Ge, The free people of Kernow - I wasn't suggesting she should be locked up purely on the strength of having sneaky eyes, just commenting that she's got them. And why not? Newspapers usually comment on how women look.
- Sarah Bradshaw, Enfield, Middx, 02/06/2009 13:23
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Give the baby a chance here, many people will wish to adopt a newborn. Then have the trial;, get the obvious to be conviction and simply chuck away the key whilst the sentence is being served. It makes us a laughing stock in the world when we keep saving people from their sentences for drug smuggling. Why should we keep her in luxury for years ahead?
Amber in Mitcham
- Amber In Mitcham, Mitcham Surrey, 02/06/2009 13:11
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According to the people who have written I can see the following....
Napoleon Blownaparte wants both her and her unborn baby to be killed now...
Frank, Home Counties thinks she should rot because she's "Diverse" (ie, not white and from the home counties presumably)
Sarah Bradshaw wants her dead because she has "sneaky eyes" (Sarah please post a pic of yourself so we can see what your eyes look like...)
And a lot of you want her to give birth and be promptly taken outside and hung. (Lovely people)
The rest hate her because she may cost the tax payer money to have her moved to a UK prison.
This girl is a 20 year old person who has made a big mistake and most likely regrets it.
I can tell from the people writing here, they have never made a mistake or known anyone who has made a mistake and never will make a mistake no matter what they are facing.
I hope all of your lives and that of your family/friends always say so mistake free.......
- Mark, St Albans, 02/06/2009 13:01
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She has very sneaky eyes, by the way, and you know what they say - eyes are the windows to the soul.
- Sarah Bradshaw, Enfield, Middx
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Now thats why we do not allow the wicca people to be judges. Cases should be judged on facts not the cover of the Cosmo
- Ge, The free people of Kernow, 02/06/2009 11:40
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We do not want her in the UK. She is a party to the deaths of addicts & our prisons are known the world over as being soft.
Bring the baby back, & leave her where she committed her crimes.
Martin
- Martin, Bracknell England, 02/06/2009 11:20
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WHY SHOULD THE TAX PAYER HAVE TO PAY FOR HER TO BE IN PRISON HERE WHY NOT LEAVE HER THERE SHE KNEW WHAT SHE WAS DOING
- Anon, leicestershire, 02/06/2009 10:27
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So many people die of heroin addiction. That makes her a mass muderer in my eyes and she should be allowed to rot in the hell of a prison in Laos.
- Joan, London UK, 02/06/2009 10:24
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I agree with Roy G of Solihull.
She has very sneaky eyes, by the way, and you know what they say - eyes are the windows to the soul.
- Sarah Bradshaw, Enfield, Middx, 02/06/2009 10:21
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"Last month Foreign Secretary David Miliband signed a prisoner transfer agreement with the government of Laos meaning any potential sentence could be served in the UK"... so once again the Government panders to the criminals needs, while the country slowly dcrumbles around us? I would understand them getting involved if the crime itself was minor.
However, she was "allegedly caught with 1.5lb of heroin". Not exactly a minor crime is it? This young woman showed no concern to the individuals or families she could potentially destroy once those drugs hit the streets.
The Lao authorities have every right to lock her up and throw away the key for all I care. I do not see why my hard-earned taxes should be used to give this piece of trash a more comfortable stay in a British prison.
- Alan, East London, 02/06/2009 10:17
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In the light of circumstances, she should now be executed before the baby is born.
- Napoleon Blownaparte, London, 02/06/2009 10:14
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What a waste of life.
- Ge, The free people of Kernow, 02/06/2009 10:11
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WELL, WHADU KNOW??????
- Annie, london, 02/06/2009 10:02
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well isn't that a big surprise - not!
a pound and a half of killer smack, she knew what she was doing and should face the penalty in the country she committed the offence in.
- Barry, woking, GB, 02/06/2009 09:48
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"Lao law forbids the execution of pregnant prisoners." - given time she will no longer be pregnant. There could be a sad end to the life of this silly girl and an even more sad start in life to the child she gives birth too.
- Guy, Luxembourg, 02/06/2009 09:46
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She took a chance and she got caught so why should this government help her. I feel sorry for the poor child after its born knowing you were only conceived to save your Mother from the death penalty - charming!
- Sue, Orpington, Kent, 02/06/2009 09:39
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Makes you want to puke really. And now society will be burdened with this scum - excuse me I mean - 'diverse' individual of course.
How many lives does heroin destroy every year? Well you can add one more to that now, and I don't mean hers. Would not surprise me if she got an abortion after her transfer to the UK.
- Frank, Home Counties, England., 02/06/2009 09:26
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so this 'innocent' thing goes to Laos and blatantly gets caught with drugs. has the 'savvy' to get pregnant and avoid the death penalty. any sentence she will get transferred over here and the British taxpayer picks up the tab for her being in prison and no doubt she will claim benefit when released for her and her kid.
NO THANKS. LET HER ROT IN A LAOTIAN PRISON...........
- Jonny, London, 02/06/2009 09:24
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Sounds like more rubbish from another tin pot government in the spotlight.
- Dave Davies, Basingstoke, 02/06/2009 09:22
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I suggested this possibility on this message board a few weeks ago, and was "shouted down" by other posters who accused me, variously, of being crass, insensitive and even chauvinistic. I've more more word to add to that. Right!
- Dr. J. Melvin, Dublin,, 02/06/2009 09:14
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greed for money? ruin other peoples lives?the courts should show no lienency for drug suppliers whatever health they are in.lowlife scum
- Basil, bussiere poitevine 87320 france, 02/06/2009 08:52
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If this was a male they would hang him out to dry, the facts as we know them is she was caught with 1.5lb of heroin, Male or female that makes her a low life (controlled my language). This latest story only confirms the fact that she no moral or ethical virtues.
- Gary, brentwood, 02/06/2009 08:40
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This is a case of 'do or die' - sometimes you gotta do what you have to do to survive.
- Hunky Junkie, London, England, 02/06/2009 08:14
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Why the hell do we want her to serve her time here? It's exactly this sort of attitude that gives encouragement to drug smugglers in the Far East-they know our namby pamby, cock eyed government will rush in to save them. How many would try their luck if they knew they would be subject to the stricter laws of these countries?
- Ted, London England, 02/06/2009 07:44
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If the law of the country demands the death sentence for the offence committed - simple! Wait until the baby is born, then commence the trial and carry out any sentence. Any child will be Laosian and soon be a part of that community.
- Roy G, Solihull, England., 02/06/2009 07:34
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