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An 18-year-old man, Jiang Jiaru, who was abducted as a baby and sold nearly two decades ago, has filed a compensation claim of 6.77 million yuan (approx. Rs 7.8 crore). The case is being heard by the Intermediate People’s Court in Taiwan, Shandong Province, China.
Jiaru was reunited with his biological mother in 2023 after years of separation. During a recent court hearing, he shared the emotional toll the kidnapping had taken on him.
“You’ve inflicted irreparable harm that no amount of money or apology can fix,” he said emotionally.
Infant Abduction Involved Violent Assault
According to South China Morning Post (SCMP), Jiaru was kidnapped when he was just eight months old. Three men forcefully entered his home in Houyu Village, armed with pincers and sticks, and brutally attacked his grandparents before abducting the child.
His grandmother testified that the intruders beat her husband severely, leaving him covered in blood and with bulging eyes from the trauma. She was too terrified to cry for help, as an attacker held an iron pipe to her neck.
“I watched helplessly as they took my grandson away,” she recalled.
Infant Sold for Rs 3.29 Lakh
The abductors sold the child to a couple living in Jining and split the 28,600 yuan (approx. Rs 3.29 lakh) they received.
Court documents revealed a fourth person, surnamed Yuan, who reportedly informed the kidnappers that the child was often left in the care of his grandparents, as his parents worked in another city.
Two of the accused, Lu and Wang, confessed to their roles in the abduction. However, the other two, Yuan and Zeng, denied direct involvement.
Mr. Zeng admitted to introducing the buyer to the group but denied participating in the actual kidnapping. Meanwhile, Mr. Yuan claimed he was unaware of their intentions to abduct the child.
As of now, the verdict remains pending. The case has captured national attention in China, especially as the demand for compensation highlights the lasting trauma of child trafficking and abduction.
