A young couple from the Chinese Chongqing Municipality are reported to have sold their baby for 2,500 yuan ($366) and used the money to buy a new mobile phone.
The story reported by the Chongqing Economic times tells us that the child’s 19 year old mother, Zhang Yao, met her 21 year old boyfriend Xin online. Young love flourished and Zhang was soon pregnant, giving birth to a healthy baby girl in November.
The couple said that they didn’t think they could afford to raise and look after the child which is why they chose to sell her to a man who gave his name as Li Yong.
Police have reported that the child’s unemployed parents spend most of their time on the internet. Their parents were unable to offer any financial support and this led to them deciding to sell their newborn baby girl.
The parents are now reported to have expressed regret that they sold their newborn baby girl and the child’s mother, Zhang, has said that after she was parted from her little girl she kept crying and she would now like to raise a child. The child’s father, Xin, has asked police if could retrieve the child from the welfare center where she is currently being looked after.
Welfare center staff have said that the baby is well behaved, has a healthy appetite and is not frightened by strangers.
Police have said that they are looking forward to reuniting the family and say that the baby should be returned to her parents very soon.
Although the selling of children for money is recognized as smuggling, a criminal offence, police are still investigating whether anyone should be held criminally responsible.
This latest shocking story from China is the latest case in which a very young couple have fallen into parenthood without any planning or thought for how they would support their newborn child.
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