Samantha Orobator, Briton Imprisoned In Laos Has Been Returned to the UK
Friday, August 7, 2009 at 9:19AM The Blogmother Is there something in the political water these days? First Laura Ling and Euna Lee are freed and now the 20-year old convicted of drug smuggling. Well she hasn't been pardoned by her home country. We know she won't be returning to Laos anytime soon!
The reason why the Laotian government let her go is due to her pregnancy. She's expected to give birth next month. There was speculation that she had been raped while in custody. According to the Mirror UK she was impregnated by fellow British prisoner John Watson, also serving a life sentence in Laos.
She is also expected to serve the remainder of her prison term in the UK, but who knows what will happen? Lee and Ling were kept in solitary confinement under 24/7 guard coverage and not sent to the work camp. Perhaps Ms. Orobator will be pardoned and released as well.
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Reader Comments (17)
My only concern is that, according to another article I read, she was found with drugs on her body rather than in a bag or suitcase. If it's a bag, it can be argued that they were planted. But on her body? If all of that is true, she basically got off easy (for a crime she committed) while many others meet fates much worse...all thanks to her pregnancy. I doubt very seriously that she will serve a life sentence in the UK. Hopefully, this experience will lead her to turn over a new and better leaf.
It is convient timing isn't it? Laura, Euna, and Samantha all at the same time.
I feel that it would be helpful if there was a remake of the movie Midnight Express. There seems to be yet another generation of people who don't understand that non-Western countries (especially Asian ones) generally DON'T PLAY when it comes to drug offenses.
Peace, blessings and solidarity.
There are some countries I would just pass on visiting PERIOD.
Thanks so much for the update. I was wondering if she was raped, and how? If he was a fellow prisoner, when would he have had access to her? I automatically thought it would have been a guard. And what is his nationality? (the rapist) because I though perhaps if the baby was half laotion (sp) maybe that factored into them refusing to put her to death, and being willing to let her go. Just my thoughts....
@Khadija I say good for them.I'm gonna have to look into their statistics when it comes to crime.I'm very intersted in how their sentencing for certain crimes compare to ours and their prison pop. compared to ours.
I second LorMarie and Khadija. As I previously stated, Miss Orobator should be thanking God for her second chance at life. All indications from the UK prison system are that she will not have to serve life. Miss Orobator may get another trial in the UK. Whatever happens, she got off at the end of the day. She has her family and many supporters. But.... some of the comments indicate that some wish she had rotted in jail --- in Laos. I wouldn't wish that on my worse enemy, but we have to be smart and not put ourselves in those situations. Nothing could entice me to do such.
Some of those other countries don't play when it comes to breaking their laws. They don't have plea deals and you get what you get. Had it not been for her pregnancy, she may have already been executed. Speaking of pregnancy, what about the guy who impregnated her? Are men and women housed together, or were they together before or even when she got caught? Many questions still unanswered.
Again at the end of the day, Miss Orobator should be thanking God that she and her baby will live and she will eventually be released.
And by the way, Laura Ling, and Euna Lee are in a different league and Samatha Orobator doesn't come close in comparison. Can you see P.M Tony Blair headed to Laos in an attempt to free this woman? Never. Although she did get lots of world sympathizers, Miss Orobator was committing a crime you know. The two reporters got caught up and their crime was unintentional. I feel for Miss Ororbator as a bw, but she put herself their, knowing (may not realizing fully) the consequences of her actions.
@lorraine If we're going to use the standards of the countries that tried and convicted these women and not our personal opinions then yes Ling & Lee are just as guilty as Orobator. The crimes may be different but they were violations all the same. If Orobator is going to judged harsher because she may have been a drug mule then why think so highly of Lee & Ling who didn't NEED to be anywhere near North Korea at all? It's not as if they had to accept that assignment. Journalists do choose the work they do.
I have no sympathy for this woman.
Initially I was concerned that she had been raped. But now we know that she used the sperm of a fellow British prisioner. That tells me she knew the penalty for her actions. It is stated quite boldly as you walk through the airport.
As a British taxpayer. I would prefer that the government stripped her of her British Citizenship and sent her back to the land of her birth - Nigeria
. She is now just going to be a burden on society.
When people travel they need to respect the laws of the country they are visiting. Singapore which I have visited. They tell you that they cane people. And that eating on the road is a no-no. And chewing gum is illegal. I love visitng Dubai. But I know once I step out of the hotel there are rules in how you dress and behave. And for the ex-pats that live there. You go to jail if you bounce a cheque.
And I can't equate her with the two journalists. She was a drug dealer/mule. Laos did not jail her for political gain. No former PM had to come and beg for her release. North Korea made a former President come over. And they got something.
@ivyalf Perhaps you have no sympathy for the mother but do you think you could muster up some for the child who is innocent?
I don't feel sorry for her and here's why :
She's a young BW who got involved with drugs and being a mule for a young BM AND she knew the consequences.
All she does is make other young BW just like her look bad.
Why should I support her? instead i should be very vocal about NOT supporting her because she is only harming other black girls and add to the stereotypes about BW.
I personally feel disgusted by her actions and feel sorry for her unborn child.
I think she should serve a long time in prison just to learn.
I support BW and young BW but this one i will NOT support because she is harming our image and seeing as BW's image is so bad already...
btw, what happened to the men/boys she was carrying drugs for? did they get sentenced for anything?
I do feel sympathy for the child. But the child unforunately is not the first or will be the last born to unfit parents.
Personally I think the child should be taken from her at birth. Which as someone who knows the UK system. It won't.
Can you imagine in a few years if that child googled its mother. It will find out it was conceived to save her mum from being executed whilst she was in prison.
@S, how do you know she intentionally carried those drugs. She may have we don't know. She never received a trial nor afforded due course. Besides, even if she is guilty there is no reason why she should have her child taken from her. I feel sorry for self righeous people without a clue who make these general statements.
Thanks, Lorraine. I agree with your point about Laura Ling. After all, I don't trust any claim North Korea makes. The more that country is exposed, the better.
Ivyalf,
I can understand being angry at this woman. In fact, I won't advocate for her or any black woman who is guilty of a crime. But, I would be amiss if I did not admit that I would probably have done the same if I were in her position. Can we really say we would not have purposely gotten pregnant if we were facing death?
to "the special one" - yes, she WAS actually GUILTY of carrying those drugs and it wasn't planted on her! it was intentional. She didn't recieve a trial or "due course" or prison because she is PREGNANT!!
I never said that they should take her child away from her!
i feel sorry for people like you who don't even bother reading comments before you respond.
Well......all this talk about Orabator being 'unfit' to be a parent......about her being a criminal.....etc.
All I have to say is that I STRONGLY doubt that she was a willing participant to any drug operation. I have no trust of the Laotian gov't or their Criminal Justice system.
But hey......that's just me being me.....
I'm curious, have anyone ever seen "Locked Up Abroad" on the National Geographic Channel?
I seen stories of people who got caught up in drug trafficking in Peru, Brazilian, and Indonesia. Most of the people were guilty but I felt sympathy for the majority of them. They were young and stupid, looking forward to a free vacation. Many of them realized too late that it was very stupid and wanted to back out. However, by then it was too late. If they refused they knew they would be beaten or killed.
These people aren't drug dealers or drug cartel lords. None of them move drugs for a living. More often than not it's young people making stupid decisions without fully realizing the consequences. By the time they do, they are screwed.
I think Westerners who break laws abroad should be punished. However, I think it's cruel and inhumane to say it's alright for these people to be sentenced to life imprisonment or death!
In this case, I'm glad Orobator is out of harm's way. I think this outcome is more than fair. She's not walking away from this scot-free.