A cruel Chinese female doctor who told mothers their new-born babies had died, but had secretly sold them, has been given a suspended death sentence.

Obstetrician Zhang Shuxia, 55, was found guilty of stealing seven babies after telling their parents the newborns were sick or had died - before selling the children to traffickers for £2,255 for females and £5,240 for males.The court in Weinan city, in Fuping county, was told that six of the babies were recovered safely by police and returned to their parents - but one was found dead in a ditch, where it had been dumped by a trafficker for unknown reasons.Evidence against Zhang showed that on one occasion she had persuaded a mother to give up her newborn female twins on the grounds that one had died of a disease and the other had injured arms and legs.Zhang was sentenced to death with a two-year reprieve, meaning that if she offends again in a similar way in that time she will be shot.But it is unlikely she will have any chance of repeating the crime because it is suggested by observers that her sentence will probably be commuted to life in prison.It is believed Zhang sold many more children than the seven she was charged with stealing.According to reports received by police, some 26 babies were stolen from their mothers and Zhang was named as the main suspect.The obstetrician was arrested after a young couple claimed their baby had been abducted in July last year.Police said that Zhang told them their son had caught hepatitis B and syphillis from them, yet doctors had told them they were free of both diseases.The couple were among the fortunate parents whose baby was returned to them.Zhang's suspended death sentence has outraged many Chinese internet users, one writer on Sina Weibo - China's equivalent of Twitter - insisting: 'She should die. She is the shame of the medical profession.' Another demanded that 'the death penalty should be carried out immediately.' Under China's strict population control policies, most couples can have only one child.Those who have more than one have secretly made money by selling the second-born to traffickers - particularly if that baby is a boy.But times might be changing - legislatures recently endorsed a resolution easing the one-child policy allowing couple to have two babies if either parent is an only child.(dailymail.co.uk)ANN.Az