A man in central China married off his mentally disabled teenage daughter on three occasions between 2018 and 2021 to three different men for cash.
The father, surnamed Xie, from Lianyuan Hunan province, sold his daughter Tingting to receive bride payments. He claimed that his daughter was over 20 years old, although she was born in January 2005.
Tingting first got engaged to a man in 2018 when she was under 14 years old. In 2019, she was engaged to a man, surnamed Chen, in his 30s. She had just turned 14, although Xie kept her true age a secret. The matchmaker who brought the two together stated that she was “18 years old and young and fertile” and that she “doesn’t even know that one plus one equals two.”
When Chen asked Tingting for her ID card to open an account at the bank, he discovered that she was only 16 years old. He and his family, however, expressed nonchalance as the two had been married for more than two years at the time.
“She was young and fertile, which is difficult to find in rural regions,” Chen said per South China Morning Post.
Xie received more than 90,000 yuan (approximately $13,328) from Chen’s family. He also collected tens of thousands of yuan from the other two men as well.
When the Chen family discovered that Xie had sold his daughter to a third family, they demanded their money back. Xie refused to return the money.
When police arrested Xie in March, they discovered that he had spent all the money. The Lianyuan City Public Security Bureau announced on Aug. 2 that the investigation had been completed. The case has now been sent to prosecutors as they decide whether to charge Xie with fraud.
Xie’s wife, who also has a mental disability, was sent to a nursing home in Lianyuan City Center, while Tingting was sent to the Lianyuan City Social Welfare Institute.
Weibo users expressed outrage, condemning the father.
“[He’s] being prosecuted for alleged fraud [but] bodily harm to girls and ‘human trafficking’ are not illegal?” one user wrote.
“There are more crimes here, not [just] fraud crimes,” another user commented.
Latest Stories
-
I was suspended in SHS after making a dance video with my uniform – Lisa Quama
41 mins -
GTA gears up for National Tourism Awards 2024
44 mins -
Police foil robbery attempt, arrest four suspects
56 mins -
Prof. Gyampo criticises vacating of MP seats due to cross-carpeting
4 hours -
A critical examination of Speaker Alban Bagbin’s ruling on potential breaches of Article 97(1)(G) and (H)
4 hours -
Trump calls 6 January ‘day of love’ when asked about Capitol riot
5 hours -
UTAG calls for immediate prosecution of persons arrested for engaging in galamsey
5 hours -
Prof Ransford Gyampo: And Speaker Bagbin declared 4 seats vacant…
5 hours -
Secret Service has ‘deep flaws’ and must overhaul leadership, report says
5 hours -
Kenya’s deputy president sacked while in hospital
6 hours -
One Direction ‘devastated’ at Liam Payne’s death
6 hours -
Ghana’s debt to ease to 70% of GDP in 2024; another debt default unlikely – Fitch
6 hours -
Meta fires staff for buying toothpaste, not lunch
6 hours -
U-20 AFCON 2025Q: Afriyie’s brace earns Ghana draw against Benin
6 hours -
US ‘click to cancel’ rule to ban subscription traps
6 hours