After being beaten up by his creditors, a married man allegedly sold his illegitimate son in an attempt to repay some of the 3 million yuan debt that he owed. Most people would never be able to put a price tag on their child, but if you had to, how does 44,000 yuan sound?
On October 17th, three days after being beaten up by his creditors, the 33-year-old father surnamed Chen is said to have “abducted” his own 2-year-old son and then sold the boy to a buyer he had met in a chat room for people seeking adoption for just 44,000 yuan ($6,500).
A police report filed by the child’s mother (Chen’s mistress) describes that on that morning Chen approached her asking her to let him bring the child back to his home to let his parents raise it. The woman refused, explaining in the report that she knew it was just an excuse to take away her son. So instead, Chen resorted to option two, violently snatching the child away from her and fleeing the scene, The Paper reports.
With a buyer already lined up, Chen and his son boarded a train in Wenzhou, Zhejiang province bound for Hunan province to meet with a 40-year-old divorcee suffering from infertility surnamed Zhu.
Chen had met the buyer in an internet chat room for people seeking adoption. After claiming to be a single mother who couldn’t afford to bring up her own child, Chen began the bartering by asking for 100,000 yuan for the kid. After some classic Chinese bartering, the final price agreed upon was 44,000 yuan. It could have been worse though, the boy could’ve been exchanged for an iPhone and motorbike.
In case you are wondering how Chen managed to pass himself off as a single mom — upon meeting Zhu, Chen assured him that he was in fact the child’s uncle.
So what drives someone to go to such extreme measures? Well, Chen allegedly racked up over 3 million yuan in debt after losing money from his business and stock investments. Furthermore, the “forceful” means by which the creditors tried to reclaim the debt does not suggest that the loan was with a trustworthy bank.
After living with Zhu for a week, the boy was returned to his mother on Monday following his father’s arrest at an internet cafe on Friday. Zhu was also arrested, however he has been released on bail.
Although Chen is still in detention under suspicion of child trafficking, maybe the prison could grant him a day-release so he can pick up his “father of the year” award in person?
By Seamus Gibson
[Images via The Paper]