These horrifying pictures show the fate of a young Chinese boy forced to spend his days locked in a small wooden cage.
Wei Yun, now 23, was unable to stand, walk or talk as a child, and could only crawl. At the age of two he was crawling around the family home in southern China's Guangxi Province, when he knocked over a boiling pot of water.
After sustaining near-fatal injuries, Wei's parents began locking him in a wooden cage for his own safety, Quirky China reported.
Wei's father works away from home and rarely has the time to visit, meaning there is no one to watch over Wei while his stepmother Nong is out working during the day.
Because of these circumstances, she locks him away in the small cage all day while she is out.
A neighbour commented: "It's a hard choice for her as she on one hand has to take care of Wei Yun but on the other she has to do field work and other odd jobs to support the family".
The case has echoes of the desperate measures taken by other poverty-stricken parents in the country, including the case of a taxi driver who resorted to chaining his toddler to a lamppost while he worked.
The two-year-old boy was pictured tethered to the pole while his father scraped a living ferrying passengers and his mother worked nearby collecting rubbish.
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These horrifying pictures show the fate of a young Chinese boy forced to spend his days locked in a small wooden cage.
Wei Yun, now 23, was unable to stand, walk or talk as a child, and could only...
These horrifying pictures show the fate of a young Chinese boy forced to spend his days locked in a small wooden cage.
Wei Yun, now 23, was unable to stand, walk or talk as a child, and could only...
There has been incidents in Africa, where people have been chained to a tree because they were a danger to themselves and others, what can these poor communities do if there aren't any social-services to help ?
vladtheemployer: There has been incidents in Africa, where people have been
This isn't any different than the article last week of the teacher's assistant in Orange County, Ca who kept her 12 year old daughter in her car naked so she wouldn't run off. The neighbors reported her digging food out of a trash can covering herself with the car mat. The world gov.s make it so difficult for families to make a living anymore they have no time for kids. Very tragic everywhere.
mtjp555: This isn't any different than the article last week of
It's Catch 22. How is he going to learn about risk? Eg. When you buy your child a bike, you know that they are destined, (but not doomed), to fall off and hurt themselves, some may even get run over, but they still ride bikes.
For me, this is a fake storey.
But we all live in cages any way.
'How should the caged bird know about the air? It supposes gloomily: "I have no wings".'
Jalal al-dim Rumi.
huffposty: It's Catch 22. How is he going to learn about
He turned a pot of boiling water over on himself and sustained near fatal injuries. So, lacking any other options, the step-mother locks him up to keep him from killing himself while she is out working at near sub-human jobs to buy food for him.
There is no help for the situation. No family. No government agencies. The poor woman, probably, is doing everything that can be done.
Have you not seen pictures and read articles of the orphanages in China? They are horrible. The parents probably felt keeping him at home was the better option. Many Chinese parents who do not want a child simply leave it by the side of the road.
Unless I can come up with a solution for the situation, I am not going to judge this step-mother.
dogtac69: hkidher1 He turned a pot of boiling water over on
Look the water was boiling hot and he nearly died the reason why the parents put him in the cage is to make sure that he doesn't accidently kill himself while there working to put some food on the table. did you read all the way through the article?
Revan0942: Look the water was boiling hot and he nearly died
I could be wrong, but my guess from the article is that this gentleman is autistic, and he does not sound high functioning. In a situation such as theirs, with no help and no resources, what are they supposed to do to keep him safe and try to survive? I think it's incredibly unfair to judge, especially if you're not getting on a plane to go over and help them.
Kelly_McCafferty: I could be wrong, but my guess from the article
I agree. All the people here are doing is damning the step-mother without making any suggestions as to what they expect her to do. All their suggestions are "she should do something." But no one is saying what she should do.
There is no help. No family. No agencies. No money. She spends all of her time at near sub-human jobs just to buy food for the boy. EXACTLY what do these people expect her to do?
F&F for having a measure of common sense.
dogtac69: Kelly McCafferty I agree. All the people here are doing
Chances are, that there were medical reason to his case that could be resolved, if the boy gets the chance to see the right doctor..someone in the category of Dr.Wakefield possibly..no allopathic quacks....whose brainwashed "knowlege" is the cause of about 200.000 people die in the US alone from iatrogenic causes each year.
JZERO: Chances are, that there were medical reason to his case
Many, many children can not be helped even with the best medical care. Some are born with handicaps so sever that nothing can be done. Especially those born with genetic abnormalities.
dogtac69: JZERO Many, many children can not be helped even with
For those of you who don't know, this is a very common practice in Asian cultures. I saw an article 20 years ago of people living in places where they were simply renting the cot they slept on, which was stacked up 4, or 5 high. They had chainlink fencing and locks to keep their valubles lokced up inside. Some of the people kept their small children locked up inside all day while they went out looking for work, or worked. We, as Americans, have never experienced the kind of poverty the rest of the world does. To take the child would make it impossible to work, there is no birth control to prevent having children, there is not enough work to afford a parent o stay home, or pay for child-care. I am NOT justifying this. It is VERY, VERY sad! But, it is a reality all over the world! Some are just seeing it for the first time...
blstory1969: For those of you who don't know, this is a
Agreed. It is sad. It is horrible. But the family, probably, is doing the best they can under these conditions. We in the USA have places we can turn to for help, medicaid, food stamps, public education, things which much of the world lacks. Give thanks that we are here where we can receive help when we need it.
F&F
dogtac69: blstory1969 Agreed. It is sad. It is horrible. But the
I am shocked at some of the heartless comments posted here. Put yourself in the place of this child, neglected, alone, unable to develop or walk because of confinement.
Yes it is indeed horrifying as it was caused by needless circumstances. if the Chinese government really worked, it would provide some sort of daycare for children such as this to create a happier and more productive society.
christinezc: I am shocked at some of the heartless comments posted
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First Posted: 6/03/2012 11:37 Updated: 6/03/2012 12:07