Chinese man jailed for selling newborn to buy lottery tickets

May 9, 2005, 10:57 am (16 comments)

International

A father who sold his newborn son to raise money to buy lottery tickets was sentenced to 10 years in prison in China's latest baby-trafficking case, a newspaper reported Monday.

The man, identified only by the family name Zhang, sold his baby boy for 9,000 yuan, the equivalent of about $1,350, because "he had dreams of becoming rich overnight," the Beijing Daily Messenger reported.

"Evil father sold his own son to buy lottery tickets," the headline read.

The Fugou County Court in central China's Henan province sentenced him to 10 years in jail and fined him 5,000 yuan, the newspaper said.

Mr. Zhang, 35, had previously served five years in jail for stealing, the paper added.

The man has at least one other child. There was no word on the fate of his infant son.

The Chinese government says thousands of children are abducted or bought from poor families every year for sale to childless couples or families who want more children.

The trade is partly driven by China's policy limiting most couples to one child. The limit prompts some parents to sell, abandon or kill baby girls in hopes of trying again for a boy.

China says it is cracking down against such practices. In several highly publicized cases, leaders of baby-trafficking gangs have been sentenced to death.

AP

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freddy827

Wow not only is this crazy because he sold his kid, but who buys a kid...

MADDOG10's avatarMADDOG10

  now, there is a man who needs to be sent to siberia for the rest of his life...! (and no there is no lottery in siberia.)

JAG331



Wow not only is this crazy because he sold his kid, but who buys a kid...



You don't want to know.

MillionsWanted's avatarMillionsWanted






Wow not only is this crazy because he sold his kid, but who buys a kid...





You don't want to know.



Yep, and we're not just talking about illegal adoptions here...

LOTTOMIKE's avatarLOTTOMIKE

yep and siberia doesn't have good games like powerball either!  no powerplay there!!

jim695

I'm going out on a limb here and guessing none of his tickets were winners.

On the other hand, my teenage daughter has been a real pain lately. Of course, she's not an infant (the big baby), but still...

1350 bucks, huh? I could use a new riding mower...

Hmmmm...

Maverick's avatarMaverick

I knew it had to be overseas.

Litebets27's avatarLitebets27



I'm going out on a limb here and guessing none of his tickets were winners.

On the other hand, my teenage daughter has been a real pain lately. Of course, she's not an infant (the big baby), but still...

1350 bucks, huh? I could use a new riding mower...

Hmmmm...



JimmySand9



I'm going out on a limb here and guessing none of his tickets were winners.

On the other hand, my teenage daughter has been a real pain lately. Of course, she's not an infant (the big baby), but still...

1350 bucks, huh? I could use a new riding mower...

Hmmmm...



I'll pay you double that!

tootsie608's avatartootsie608

I think he should be put under the jail how can he sell his baby for lottery tickets,that more then likely wont win.there not as important as a childs life.10 years is not enougth time""

tootsie608's avatartootsie608

I don't know how he can do that to his child ,it's not worth it,it's  a game of chance you can only hope you win some nice money off them  a child will Love you forever and some it breaks my heart to here that someone can do that for nothing.

ineed9million's avatarineed9million

i can't believe he gets 5 years for stealing and only 10 years for selling his baby...

lottolady24's avatarlottolady24

They really need to re-evaluate their sentencing structure.  You get 10 years for that!?  I mean, he should of tried to get at least 10K.  That's the standard price of Asian babies on the black market! 

LOTTOMIKE's avatarLOTTOMIKE

i think he should get life,for selling a life.....

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