[1] Although the Fengxian incident has not subsided, may the crime of human trafficking cease to exist.
Compiled from: Xinhua News Agency, China.com, China Women's News
Case review
Since around January 28, a woman in Fengxian County, Xuzhou City, who gave birth to eight children and was locked in a dilapidated house, has drawn widespread attention.
On February 10, Xuzhou City reported that Dong Moumin was suspected of illegal detention, and Sang Mouniu and Shi Mouzhong were suspected of trafficking women. The three have been subjected to criminal coercive measures.
Recently, after DNA testing and comparison by provincial, ministerial, and municipal public security organs of the belongings of Yang Mouxia, Guang Mouying (Xiaohuamei's half-sister from the same mother), and Pu Mouma (deceased, Xiaohuamei's mother), the result showed that Pu Mouma is the biological mother of Yang Mouxia and Guang Mouying. Combined with investigation visits and organized identification, it was determined that Yang Mouxia is Xiaohuamei.
Through police investigation, Dong Moumin (male, 55, from Feng County) is suspected of the crime of illegal detention, and Sang Mouniu (female, 48, from Fugong County, Yunnan Province) and Shi Mouzhong (male, 67, from Donghai County, Sang Mouniu's husband) are suspected of the crime of trafficking women. The above three individuals have been subjected to criminal compulsory measures.
To ensure the basic living conditions of Yang Mouxia and her family, the Feng County civil affairs department has provided them with subsistence allowances. The education department has implemented student financial aid policies in accordance with laws and regulations to guarantee their children's right to education. Volunteers from the Women's Federation and town and village officials help care for their elderly relatives and provide companionship and care for their children. Later, based on the handling of the case, guardianship responsibilities for their minor children will be determined according to law.
"Criminal Law of the People's Republic of China"
Article 238 [Crime of Illegal Detention]
Whoever unlawfully detains another person or unlawfully deprives another person of their personal freedom by other means shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not more than three years, criminal detention, public surveillance, or deprivation of political rights. If there are circumstances of beating or humiliation, a heavier punishment shall be imposed.
Whoever commits the crime in the preceding paragraph and causes serious injury to another person shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than three years but not more than ten years; if death is caused, the sentence shall be fixed-term imprisonment of not less than ten years. If violence is used to cause injury or death, the offender shall be convicted and punished according to the provisions of Articles 234 and 232 of this Law.
……
Article 240 [Crime of Abducting and Trafficking Women and Children]
Whoever abducts and traffics in women or children shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than five years but not more than ten years and shall also be fined; under any of the following circumstances, the offender shall be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of not less than ten years or life imprisonment, and shall also be fined or have property confiscated; if the circumstances are especially serious, the offender shall be sentenced to death and have property confiscated:
(1) Being a ringleader of a gang engaged in abducting and trafficking in women or children;
(2) Abducting and trafficking in three or more women or children;
(3) Raping the abducted woman;
(4) Enticing or forcing the abducted woman into prostitution, or selling the abducted woman to another person to force her into prostitution;
(5) Using violence, coercion, or anesthetic methods to abduct women or children for the purpose of selling them;
(6) Stealing infants or young children for the purpose of selling them;
(7) Causing serious injury, death, or other severe consequences to the trafficked women, children, or their relatives;
(8) Selling women or children abroad. Trafficking in women or children refers to any act of abducting, kidnapping, buying, selling, transporting, or transiting women or children for the purpose of selling them.
[1] The author's perspective
Starting from the first notice issued by the Feng County Party Committee Propaganda Department on January 28, followed by the Feng County Joint Investigation Team and the Xuzhou Municipal Party Committee and Government Joint Investigation Team, several notices were released. This time, the investigation team was directly established by the Jiangsu Provincial Party Committee and Government, clearly showing that the incident has garnered increasing attention, and relevant departments have progressively escalated their involvement and placed greater emphasis on it.
In the second notice, it was mentioned that "derelict and negligent staff will be dealt with according to law and regulations," while the third notice stated that "an investigation will be conducted into relevant personnel suspected of issues such as neglect of supervision, oversight, dereliction of duty, and malfeasance in this matter." This change in wording also reveals the complexity of the incident and the extent of responsibilities involved. However, we must not overlook the truth due to the complexity and the many parties involved; instead, we should conduct a more thorough and comprehensive investigation, leaving no room for criminals to harbor侥幸心理 (a mindset of relying on luck to escape punishment), and provide a clear account to the public. All of this must be grounded in facts and evidence. As the saying goes, justice must not only be done but must also be seen to be done—this is the kind of fair and just outcome that inspires trust.
A single trafficking case can destroy not only a family but also the lives of many. Although the Fengxian incident has not yet been fully resolved, I sincerely hope for a world without trafficking.
