A man in southwest China Chongqing Municipality has been sentenced three years, but given a four-year probation for providing poison to an 80-year-old paralyzed woman to help her commit suicide.

Song Wanyuan, 76, was charged with manslaughter by the court in as he intentionally bought pesticide for the woman surnamed Zeng which directly led to her death.

Song received a lenient sentence because he had no evil intentions, yesterday's Chongqing Economic Times reported.

Song lived next door to Zeng and often heard her complain about her condition after she had become paralyzed in 2007.

Song said he had refused Zeng several times when she begged him to buy her sleeping pills and pesticide to end her pain.

But Song finally bought her five pesticide pills in October 2008. Zeng took the drugs after supper and died.

The debate over mercy killing has long been heated in China and worldwide.

In another case, a Beijing court gave a mother a suspended three-year jail sentence after poisoning and smothering her 20-year-old mentally disabled daughter in 2008.

The Netherlands became the first country in the world to legalize euthanasia in 2002, giving terminally ill patients the right to end their lives.

Korea is also about to legalize euthanasia to permit doctors to end the lives of patients with incurable conditions.

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