The case of "gene editing baby" was publicly pronounced in the first instance of Shenzhen Nanshan District People's Court on the 30th. He Jiankui, Zhang Renli, Qin Jinzhou and other three defendants were investigated for criminal responsibility according to law because they jointly illegally implemented human embryo gene editing and reproductive medical activities for the purpose of reproduction, which constituted the crime of illegal medical practice.
The court found that since 2016, he Jiankui, former associate professor of Southern University of science and technology, learned that human embryo gene editing technology can obtain commercial benefits, that is, he conspired with Zhang Renli, a medical institution in Guangdong Province, and Qin Jinzhou, a medical institution in Shenzhen, knowing that he violated relevant national regulations and medical ethics, The human embryo gene editing technology, which is safe and effective without strict validation, is still used in assisted reproductive medicine in the name of the CCR5 who can edit the human embryo's gene to give birth to HIV / AIDS. He Jiankui and others forged ethical review materials, recruited men for HIV infected couples to carry out gene editing and assisted reproduction, in order to impersonate and hide the truth, by unwitting doctors, the gene editing embryos transferred through assisted reproductive technology into the human body, resulting in 2 pregnancies, successively gave birth to 3 gene editing babies.
The court held that the three defendants did not obtain the doctor's qualification, pursued fame and wealth, deliberately violated the relevant national regulations on scientific research and medical management, crossed the bottom line of scientific research and medical ethics, rashly applied gene editing technology to human assisted reproductive medicine, disturbed the order of medical management, and the circumstances were serious. Their behavior constituted the crime of illegal medical practice. According to the facts, nature, circumstances and harm to society of the three defendants, he Jiankui was sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of three years and a fine of 3 million yuan; Zhang Renli was sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of two years and a fine of one million yuan; Qin Jinzhou was sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of one year and six months, suspended for two years and fined 500000 yuan.