A man has been questioned by police in Henan Province for reportedly trying to give away his five young sons at a street stall.
Li Donghong, 37, was allegedly offering his sons “free to a good home” to passersby in Dengfeng City on Aug. 26, saying he cannot support them all. The boys are aged 1 to 8, including 6-year-old twins, ZYNews reported.
A local resident at the scene called Mr. Gao told ZYNews that there were babies sleeping on the ground covered with a dirty blanket, and Li had a big tricycle fitted out with articles for daily use.
A witness quoted by the Daily Mail commented: “He said they were healthy and fit, but he and his wife just couldn’t afford to keep them. They had been hoping for one daughter.”
Li was reported to local police as a potential child trafficker, and taken in for questioning. According to the police bureau, Li had cycled about 300 kilometers with the boys from Pingyu County, where they live. Their mother has been unable to move her Hukou or household registration record from her previous marriage, and the five boys are therefore illegitimate.
The whole family is now at Dengfeng Civil Affairs Bureau’s community rescue shelter, and will be relocated by the bureau in Pingyu County.
Chinese media reports about the story included speculation that Li and the boys were a family of beggars, because Li told the police that he wanted to keep the children.
“I think giving kids away isn’t so bad; it’s better to give them to someone who wants them than abandon them on the street,” remarked one pragmatic Internet user in Hubei Province. “I don’t know exactly what the situation is, but I know it’s hard for some people in big cities to understand poor people’s suffering.”
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