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Fran Lu

A Chinese woman who kept becoming pregnant to avoid jail has finally been brought to justice.
The woman, who is known by the pseudonym Chen Hong, was sentenced to five years' imprisonment for fraud in December 2020 in central China’s Shanxi province, the Shanxi Evening News reported.
However, she was never properly incarcerated.
Instead, Chen kept getting pregnant, having three children with one man in four years.

In China, convicts who suffer serious illnesses, are pregnant and nursing their newborn babies, or are unable to live by themselves, are allowed to temporarily serve a sentence outside prison.
They would serve a community correction service at hospitals or their own homes, supervised by their residence’s community correctional institutions, which are usually local prisons and public security organs.
The convicts are required to submit illness or pregnancy examination reports once every three months.
The execution of their service faces regular inspections by the local procuratorate.

During an inspection in May, a procurator discovered that Chen, who had just delivered her third child, did not live with her baby.
It was also discovered that the child’s household registration was under Chen’s sister-in-law, which means that the child was legally the latter’s child.
Presented with the evidence, Chen admitted that she had already divorced.
Her first two children lived with her ex-husband. She gave away her third child to her ex-husband’s sister.
The local procuratorate believed that Chen was using pregnancy as an excuse to escape jail.
They suggested that she be committed to prison.
As there was less than one year left of Chen’s jail term, she was sent back to a detention centre instead of a prison to complete her sentence.
The procuratorate and local judiciary were also reported to have sent staff to explain the law to Chen and make sure she was willing to serve her term legally.
“I was more shocked that she could get pregnant when she wanted,” said one online observer.

“I pity the three children who were born only because their mother wanted to escape prison,” said another.
While a third online observer said: “Judging from my own experience, it is easier to get pregnant right after giving birth.”
Chen is not the only woman who has attempted to avoid imprisonment by getting pregnant.
Some procurators suggested that the legal system should consider suspending the sentence instead of continuing to calculate the time for the convicts who repeatedly get pregnant.
“In this way, it can also protect the rights of their unborn children,” procurators from Yancheng, eastern China’s Jiangsu province, wrote in an article.


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Chinese woman keeps getting pregnant, has 3 kids in 4 years to avoid 5-year jail sentence

A woman in China has sought to avoid a five-year jail term for fraud by repeatedly getting pregnant and having three children. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock

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Chen has been sent to a detention centre to finish her five-year sentence. Photo: Getty Images

Some legal experts believe that China’s law needs to be changed to make sure situations like that of Chen are properly dealt with. Photo: Getty Images

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After finding out that the baby his wife aborted was that of his neighbour, a man in China attacked her lover with a knife. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock

It has been reported that Chen and his wife often fell out and argued a lot. Photo: Shutterstock

After drinking alcohol, Chen flew into a rage and went to Shao’s house with a knife. Photo: Shutterstock

A court sentenced Chen to seven months in jail after taking mitigating factors into account. Photo: Getty Images

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People & Culture

Investigation finds woman convicted of fraud gives babies away, is already divorced from man with whom she conceived them


Investigation finds woman convicted of fraud gives babies away, is already divorced from man with whom she conceived them.


Crime in China

Chen Hong

Chinese woman keeps getting pregnant, has 3 kids in 4 years to avoid 5-year jail sentence

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Investigation finds woman convicted of fraud gives babies away, is already divorced from man with whom she conceived them

Investigation finds woman convicted of fraud gives babies away, is already divorced from man with whom she conceived them