The Colombo High Court today sentenced a mother to seven years of rigorous imprisonment for attempting to sell her two-day-old infant for Rs. 75,000.
High Court Judge Navaratne Marasinghe ruled that the prosecution had proven the charges beyond reasonable doubt. The Court also imposed a Rs. 20,000 fine, with an additional six months of simple imprisonment if the amount is unpaid.
Investigations revealed that the woman and her husband operated an illegal abortion center and planned to sell the newborn after luring another woman there for delivery.
The baby was sold to a female police sergeant posing undercover from the National Child and Women’s Bureau.
The judge described the crime as deeply disturbing and stressed that such acts must be met with appropriate punishment, stating that every child is entitled to legal protection. (Newswire)
