The alleged involvement of medical staff in child trafficking has shocked the public. We spoke to a law expert, and asked what sort of punishments can be handed out to those involved in stealing and selling children.
If more than three children have been trafficked, the perpetrator will get a minimum 10-year sentence. If a criminal network is discovered, and if babies have died, then the head of the network will face a life sentence or even the death penalty, according to Professor Ruan Qilin from China University of Political Science and Law.
China’s Supreme People’s Court clarified its sentencing procedures in 2010. The Court said that medical staff working in hospitals and other welfare institutions will be charged with child trafficking if they profit from the sale of children in any way. Staff who aid and abet traffickers will also be charged with the same crime.