Initial investigation finds scientist evaded oversight
He Jiankui, the Chinese scientist who claimed to have produced the world's first gene edited human babies, deliberately evaded supervision by forging fake documents to attract subjects to volunteer for his illegal and controversial experiments, according to preliminary investigation results published on Monday.
A special investigation team from Guangdong province said He financed and organized the experiment himself in pursuit of personal fame. These actions directly violated China's regulations against using gene editing technologies on human embryos for reproduction purposes.
The team said the experiment involved serious violations of national regulations and led to outrage domestically and abroad. He, along with other personnel and institutes involved in the experiment, will be severely dealt with in accordance with laws and regulations, officials said. The accusations against them have been reported to public security bodies.