“According to the evidence collected, two of the defendants, forming a couple, acquired two children and two other defendants, also a couple, acquired a child. The fifth defendant also acquired a child”, according to the MP, who accused them of committing crimes of human trafficking and forgery of documents.

The MP said that the five people, who are now constituted as defendants, "learned through the internet that a woman was willing to deliver a new born child in exchange for money and decided to close the deal".

The children were handed over to the defendants shortly after birth and registered civilly as being the daughters of the biological mother and one of the elements of each couple.

He adds that, in order to guarantee the exclusive exercise of parental responsibilities, three of the defendants entered into agreements to regulate this exercise, “the mother never having any contact with the children again”.

The biological parents of the children were tried in a separate process that ended in 2020, in the court of São João Novo, with the sentencing of the woman to nine years in prison and the man to five years and eight months of imprisonment.

According to Lusa, the sale of the children was said to have earned the couple a total of 89,000 euros.