TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A young boy is fighting for his life and could remain in a vegetative state even if he survives, after he was was thrown nearly 30 times in a judo class last week.
The seven-year-old student from Nanyang Elementary School in Taichung City's Fengyuan District, surnamed Huang (黃), attended his second week of judo classes in the basement of a gymnasium operated by Ruisui Elementary School at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday (April 21). During class, the 67-year old coach, surnamed Ho (何,) ordered a 10-year-old student to perform a shoulder throw on Huang multiple times.
After several throws, Huang began to complain of pain in his feet and head, and pleaded with the coach not to be thrown any further, even vomiting at one point. Unmoved, Ho ordered the child to be thrown 20 times.
Huang being thrown by older student. (Facebook, Huang family photo)
In a video of the incident Huang can be seen crying and begging on his knees for the punishment to end. However, Ho then personally throws the child another seven times.
At around 9 p.m., Huang reportedly passed out, turned pale, and became unresponsive. Ho then called for an ambulance that rushed him to Feng Yuan Hospital for emergency treatment, reported Liberty Times.
Doctors found that Huang's injuries resembled those from a car crash and including a severe intracranial hemorrhage, which prompted them to perform an emergency craniotomy. After the operation, doctors declared that Huang was in a "brain dead state," and if he survives, he will likely remain in a vegetative state.
Huang is thrown again as Ho steps into frame (left). (Facebook, Huang family photo)
When visiting the hospital after the child underwent surgery, Ho initially claimed the child had fallen on his own. It was only after learning about the serious nature of his injuries did Ho admit that he and a student had thrown him many times.
When police took Ho in for questioning on April 23, he claimed the boy had cried when being thrown in previous classes and presumed he was complaining without good reason. Ho was then investigated for negligent bodily harm (過失傷害), before being released without bail.
Cho Chun-chung (卓俊忠), head prosecutor of the Taichung District Prosecutor's Office, said that Huang's parents pressed charges against Ho for negligent bodily harm and that they are not ruling out pressing charges for negligent homicide (過失重傷害) if their son dies, reported UDN. Huang's father said it would take a miracle for him to regain consciousness and he demanded an apology and explanation from Ho.
Ho orders Huang to stand up as he cries in pain. (Facebook, Huang family photo)
Huang lies on mat after another throw as Ho walks toward him. (Facebook, Huang family photo)
