Mother 'tried to Sell Her Unborn Baby'

An Australian woman is on trial for allegedly trying to sell her baby daughter for A$10,000 (£4,000) to a childless couple in the US, over the internet.

The woman, who is 39 and cannot be named, apparently agreed to sell her child - now a year-old and in care - after she was allegedly raped.

She was remanded until the end of next month by a Melbourne magistrates court on Thursday, on two charges related to agreeing to receive payment for adoption. If convicted she could be jailed for two years.

According to the Herald-Sun newspaper the woman, who has two sons, said she had received between 80 and 100 replies from prospective parents and chose a professional couple in New York who wanted her to give birth in the US and agreed to pay her medical and legal bills and air fares.

The woman claimed that no money had changed hands, and wants the child back.