Chinese Baby Girl Sold for $9000 by Struggling Parents, Agent - FreedomUnited.org

Chinese Baby Girl Sold for $9000 by Struggling Parents, Agent

  • Published on
    August 14, 2018
  • Written by:
    Jamison Liang
  • Category:
    Human Trafficking, Law & Policy
Hero Banner

A young, struggling couple has been detained in central China for allegedly trying to sell their baby daughter online for $9000 with the help of an agent.

The national public security ministry asked police in Hubei and Hunan provinces to work together to investigate the case cross-province child trafficking earlier this month. As of last Thursday, the suspects were all taken into custody.

The South China Morning Post reports:

The accused parents – a 19-year-old man surnamed Gao who works as a takeaway restaurant delivery driver and a 20-year-old woman surnamed Zhang, both from Hubei – felt under financial pressure having already had a son last year, Xishui police said via Weibo, China’s Twitter.

In April, the couple allegedly contacted an online agent in Hunan province surnamed Zhu, found a buyer for their daughter and sold her for 65,000 yuan (US$9,440), of which Zhu allegedly pocketed 20,000 yuan, according to the report.

The couple and agent remained in detention and had yet to be prosecuted, the report stated. It was unclear whether the alleged buyer of the daughter had been traced.

Under Chinese law, trafficking and selling women and children is commonly punishable by five to 10 years in prison, but life sentences or death penalties can also be issued.

Zhou Kai, a lawyer at Jiangsu Tianzhe law firm in Nanjing, noted that the agent may face an even longer sentence than the girl’s parents if this turns out to not be an isolated case. Additionally, under Chinese law, those guilty of purchasing a child could be jailed for up to three years.

The authorities are likely to see if the baby girl’s other relatives are able to raise her, explained Zhou, but if not she would be put up for adoption.

Freedom United is interested in hearing from our community and welcomes relevant, informed comments, advice, and insights that advance the conversation around our campaigns and advocacy. We value inclusivity and respect within our community. To be approved, your comments should be civil.

stop icon A few things we do not tolerate: comments that promote discrimination, prejudice, racism, or xenophobia, as well as personal attacks or profanity. We screen submissions in order to create a space where the entire Freedom United community feels safe to express and exchange thoughtful opinions.

guest
0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments

This week

Four years on, has Australia's Modern Slavery Act been effective?

An independent review of Australia's Modern Slavery Act has concluded that the legislation is failing to have a significant impact on curbing modern slavery and urges the Australian government to implement recommendations to strengthen the law. The Australian government must act According to the latest Global Slavery Index released by international human rights organization Walk Free, an estimated 50 million people were in situations of modern slavery

| Wednesday May 31, 2023

Read more