A female teacher was sentenced to six and a half years in jail yesterday after she punished a 4 year-old student by turning her upside down and dropping her on her head, according to Southern Metropolis Daily.
After we told you in October of the horrific injuries that the four year-old Yaoyao had sustained, outcry spread across the country over this and several other high-profile cases of child abuse.
Last month an op-ed in Shenzhen Daily called for reforms to China’s pathetic child protection laws that enabled a 20 year-old kindergarten teacher to escape jail time after abusing students in creative and horrific ways.
The sentencing of the teacher, surnamed Xu, at Panyu District Court sends out a message to other teachers who attempt corporal punishment.
The incident took place on the morning of Feb. 7 this year when, after repeated disobedience, Xu committed the act of abuse and Yaoyao was left lying unconscious on the floor.
On Oct. 10, Xu admitted to inappropriately lifting the student but insisted that dropping her was an accident.
Judges at the court explained that the sentence was so long because Xu was in a position of particular trust at Guangzhou Panyu Zihui Children’s Rehabilitation Centre and the child, who was not responsible for her own actions, sustained such serious injuries.
