Argentine Judge Sentenced for Selling Babies

A former judge in Pilar, Argentina, has been sentenced to three years in prison for her role in a scheme to sell babies. Alejandra Velázquez was found guilty of aggravated bribery and will also be barred from holding public office for six years.

Velázquez allegedly orchestrated adoptions by instructing social workers to find pregnant women and families with low incomes, offering their babies to wealthy couples in exchange for money. This process was described as "express adoptions."

The investigation into Velázquez's activities began in 2011 after her unexplained absence from work led to scrutiny. She was eventually removed from her position in 2017 for allegedly offering bribes to manipulate child adoption processes. During her six years leading the Family Court No. 1 of Pilar, she was also accused of allowing collaborators to sign over 600 case files while she traveled abroad.

Judicial sources reported that two social workers testified that Velázquez told them, "Go look for bellies." They stated the judge wanted them to visit vulnerable neighborhoods to find pregnant young women willing to give up their babies for money, adding that Velázquez believed families would pay for newborns.

In September 2017, Velázquez was unanimously dismissed by the judicial council of the province of Buenos Aires. She had been suspended since April of that year. The charges against her included falsifying dates on rulings, procedural irregularities, facilitating the direct sale of newborns, workplace harassment, and repeated failures in adoption procedures.

In July 2024, Velázquez was arrested in Valencia, Spain, pursuant to an Argentine court order. She has since been extradited to Argentina to face charges of bribery and ideological falsehood.