Germany Seizes 'eBay Baby'

Couple listed son 'as a joke,' but unamused cops suspect child trafficking
By Kevin Spak,  Newser Staff
Posted May 24, 2008 6:53 PM CDT
Germany Seizes 'eBay Baby'
An unidentified baby gazes into the camera in this file photo.   (Shutterstock)

Germany has taken a seven-month-old baby from his parents after they tried to sell him on eBay, the BBC reports. The yet-unnamed child was advertised as “nearly-new” and had a starting price of one euro. “It was only a joke,” the child’s mother said. “I just wanted to see if someone would make an offer.”

But German authorities aren’t laughing. They’ve launched a child-trafficking probe and, according to the mother, have forced them into psychiatric tests. The baby was on eBay for 2 hours before the site yanked it and alerted police. “Offering my nearly new baby for sale,” the ad read, “as it has gotten too loud.” (More eBay stories.)

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