4 hospital officials stand trial in baby trafficking case

Four former officials of a hospital in northwest China's Shaanxi province where an obstetrician was accused of trafficking seven babies went on trial Monday for dereliction of duty.

The four suspects include former president of Fuping County Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital Wang Li, former deputy president Yao Junmin, former director of the Department of Obstetrics Gao Wenping and former administrator of the delivery rooms Si Xin, said the Linwei district people's court in the city of Weinan.

Zhang Yan, a procurator with the Linwei district people's procuratorate said the serious dereliction of duty of the four suspects made obstetrician Zhang Shuxia have the chances of selling seven babies to human traffickers and thus caused bad social effects.

On Dec. 30, Zhang pleaded guilty to selling the babies to human traffickers after persuading their parents to give up their "sick" newborns. She is awaiting sentencing.

The obstetrician's involvement in baby trafficking and criminality across many provinces was exposed in July 2013, when a mother, surnamed Dong, suspected her baby had been abducted. She reported the incident to police.

Zhang falsely claimed that Dong's child had a congenital disease, according to Weinan Intermediate People's Court. The baby was found in good condition in neighboring Henan Province on Aug. 5.

Two twin baby girls were also rescued from neighboring Shanxi Province and Shandong Province in east China on Aug. 10 after their mother, surnamed Wang, contacted police in Fuping.

Nine suspects were detained in August, including Zhang. Director and deputy director of the county health bureau and several hospital officials were dismissed from their posts.