Home>News Center>China
       
 

Criminal penalties pondered for aborting females
By Hu Cong (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-02-28 07:47

Doctors performing selective abortions or exposing the gender of fetuses may face jail terms, say senior legislators worried about the country's gender imbalance.

The lawmakers are also mulling changes to criminal law that target those practices.

A doctor rejects a woman's request to tell her the sex of her baby in Liaocheng, Shandong Province in this August 6, 2003 file photo. Chinese lawmakers are calling for criminal penalties for doctors performing selective abortions or exposing the gender of fetuses. [newsphoto]
A doctor rejects a woman's request to tell her the sex of her baby in Liaocheng, Shandong Province in this August 6, 2003 file photo. Chinese lawmakers are calling for criminal penalties for doctors performing selective abortions or exposing the gender of fetuses. [newsphoto]
At a discussion on Saturday, members of the Standing Committee of National People's Congress (NPC) called for a new criminal law clause against selective abortion and fetal gender identification for non-medical purposes.

"The gender imbalance will affect marriages for a certain period in the future and add to social instability," standing committee member Xu Zhihong said at the discussion.

Selective abortion also harms the health of women and in the majority of cases tragically ends the life of female fetuses, said Xu, who is also president of Beijing University.

China in history saw the birth of sons as preferable since they were viewed as being more able to provide for their families, or better able to support elderly parents or to carry on the family line.

The belief lingers on in some rural areas where men do most manual work to support the family.

The country's family planning policy allows most couples to have just one child.

The persisting bias for boys by some people means they decide to abort an expected child if it is found to be a girl. Others give birth and leave their baby girls at the hospital or local orphanages.

Though the practice of providing ultrasound scans and telling parents a child's sex is illegal, many corrupt clinics accept money and do so anyway. Some accept bribes and reveal the information to parents.

The country's birth gender ratio has risen to about 117 boys to 100 girls, compared to 108 boys to 100 girls in 1982.

The lawmakers are considering whether to upgrade the punishment - now just fines and some administrative measures - into criminal law sanctions. There is only a charge on people who have no medical certificate but conduct abortions.

Some 10-plus NPC Standing Committee members are proposing to add a criminal article targeting on licensed doctors who reveal the sex of fetuses or conduct abortions for non-medical purposes.

But some are adding a note of caution. "Revealing the sex of a fetus is against professional ethics but it alone is not up to the level of criminal offence," said Qiu Xinglong, a law professor of the Xiangtan University based in the central province of Hunan.

He said the identification is punishable only when it leads to selective abortion.

"Having a rule to deter abortion is no problem, but where to draw the lines is an issue lawmakers need to tread upon carefully."



 
  Today's Top News     Top China News
 

Criminal penalties pondered for aborting females

 

   
 

Taiwan urged to back '1992 Consensus'

 

   
 

Securities legislation protects investors

 

   
 

Kitty Hawk sailor to appear in HK court

 

   
 

Iran, Russia sign nuke deal opposed by US

 

   
 

Wen calls for more efforts to curb corruption

 

   
  McDonald's: Price changes had no dye link
   
  Smashing piracy takes public events and support
   
  Heavy snow hits southwest
   
  Prints help put murder suspect in prison
   
  Water conservancy projects going 'green'
   
  Cultural relics see high-tech crime risk
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
  Related Stories  
   
Lawmakers call on ban of fetus sex selection
   
China to outlaw sex-selective abortions
   
Guiyang to ban abortion after 14 weeks
   
Abortion of 14-week fetus banned
   
Forced abortion puts criminal code on trial
   
Beijing sets up rescue center for pregnant girls
   
Experts: China's population control not reliant on abortion
  News Talk  
  It is time to prepare for Beijing - 2008  
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 欧美一区二区三区综合色视频| 久久久久久亚洲av无码专区| 黄在线观看www免费看| 日产乱码免费一卡二卡在线| 免费a级毛片无码| 亚洲精品一二区| 在线日韩av永久免费观看| 丁香六月婷婷综合| 日本护士69xxxx免费| 五月开心播播网| 男人的天堂毛片| 四虎永久网址在线观看| 高龄五十路中出| 国产福利一区二区三区在线视频| 中文字幕免费在线观看| 日韩高清在线播放| 农村乱人伦一区二区| 亚洲性图第一页| 国语高清精品一区二区三区| www五月婷婷| 性色av免费观看| 亚洲av无码一区二区三区不卡| 精品国产夜色在线| 国产精品99久久久精品无码| 91麻豆国产极品在线观看洋子| 女人张开大腿让男人桶| 图片区日韩欧美亚洲| 久久精品欧美日韩精品| 男人扒开女人下面狂躁动漫版| 国产夫妻在线观看| 777xxxxx欧美| 国产精品自产拍在线观看| 97超级碰碰碰碰久久久久| 手机在线看片不卡中文字幕| 亚洲欧美日韩在线综合福利| 草的爽免费视频| 国产精品秦先生手机在线| 99久久国产综合精品swag| 无码人妻久久一区二区三区免费 | 2021最新热播欧美极品| 性伦片美国刺激片在线观看|