The couple sold their 2 daughters to get money for their son’s medical treatment

The sentence that was deemed too light for the couple who sold their two biological daughters once again caused a stir in Chinese public opinion about the issue of child trafficking, and caused fierce controversy about the ideology that has been ingrained for many generations. relationship in the country of billions of people when only focusing on protecting their sons, especially when they are sick.

In the judgment published at an online court, the man surnamed Liu and his wife Guo were sentenced to three years in prison by the court and suspended for four years.

It is not clear when the trial will take place. But on March 30, Chinese public opinion began to strongly oppose the court’s verdict for the couple.

According to the court, according to Chinese law, the two defendants were charged with child abuse and human trafficking.

“Selling a biological child can be classified as child abuse and trafficking,” the court said.

Previously, the couple said they had sold their two biological daughters to pay for their son’s hospital bills. However, the specific illness that the couple’s son has has not been disclosed in detail.

In 2018, Liu’s family living in Shandong province sold their first daughter to a man surnamed Wei for 30,000 yuan ($4,725) as a “nursing fee”.

“Nutrition fee” is understood as the amount an object pays to the biological parents of the child from the time the mother is pregnant until the time the child is born. Under Chinese law, this is illegal.

In November 2019, the couple continued to sell their second daughter to a man with the surname Jin for 33,000 yuan ($5,196).

The second baby girl was born outside the hospital by the couple, so when the man surnamed Jin took the baby to the hospital to cut the umbilical cord, the medical staff became suspicious and called the police.

When the couple was arrested, the husband confessed to local police that he and his wife had sold their two daughters and used the money to pay for the son’s hospital bills.

In addition to the postponement of the execution of the sentence, the two defendants Liu and Guo were fined 20,000 yuan (US$3,149) and confiscated all the money they had traded with the two buyers.

After the information about the case was revealed, many Chinese people were extremely upset when they thought that the sentence the couple received was too light.

“How can such a light sentence prevent similar behavior from happening again,” commented one netizen.

Another pressingly emphasized: “The message that the sentence sends to society is that buying and selling people is harmless.”

Child abuse and neglect has been a problem in China for decades. A series of serious incidents that occurred in 2021 have attracted special attention from Chinese public opinion, and at the same time became a priority topic raised by many delegates to the National Assembly session in early March.

Speaking at the meeting, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang affirmed: “China will firmly crack down on criminals abusing and trafficking women and children, and actively protect the legitimate rights and interests of women and children. women and children”.

Also in March, China’s Ministry of Public Security launched a year-long campaign to stamp out “trafficking in women and children”.

In December 2021, a father in China was sentenced to 10 years in prison after selling his five children between 2012 and 2020 for 180,000 yuan ($28,125).

Or in August 2021, a woman in Hebei province was found by Chinese police to have sold her biological child to a reproductive technology company for 70,000 yuan ($11,020).

Under Chinese criminal law, the penalty for trafficking in women and children ranges from five years to life in prison and even death.