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: 国产剧果冻传媒星空在线播放| 成人免费看黄20分钟| 亚洲爆乳精品无码一区二区| 精品少妇人妻av一区二区| 国产免费私拍一区二区三区| 亚洲综合久久一本伊伊区| 国产高清在线视频| japanesexxxxhd熟睡直播| 成人性开放大片| 久久久久亚洲av无码专区蜜芽| 极品尤物一区二区三区| 亚洲成年人影院| 波多野结衣女上司| 免费一级肉体全黄毛片| 美国bbbbbbbbb免费毛片| 国产传媒在线观看| 国产精品视频yuojizz| 国产精品内射视频免费| 91短视频网站| 在线综合 亚洲 欧美中文字幕| wwwxx在线| 娇妻之欲海泛舟1一42| 中文在线天堂网www| 放进去岳就不挣扎了| 久久久久亚洲AV成人无码网站| 日韩人妻无码一区二区三区| 亚洲AV午夜精品一区二区三区 | 国产乱码1卡二卡3卡四卡| 国产福利你懂的| 国产特黄1级毛片| 青青操国产在线| 国产精品无码翘臀在线观看| 91学院派女神| 国产香蕉精品视频在| 99久久综合给久久精品| 夜色福利久久久久久777777| sihu永久在线播放地址| 好吊操视频在这星| sihu国产精品永久免费| 女人18毛片水真多免费看| www国产无套内射com|