7-year-old Taiwan boy thrown 27 times during judo class dies

The boy, identified by his family name Huang, had complained of a bad headache but the coach allegedly continued throwing him to the floor until he became unresponsive.

A seven-year-old Tawainese boy who was repeatedly thrown to the floor during judo class died Tuesday. The boy, identified by his family name Huang, was admitted to a hospital on April 21 and had been in a coma for 70 days with severe brain haemorrhages, reported news agency AFP. Huang’s parents decided to withdraw his life support after he developed respiratory problems as well as multiple organ failure.

The Taiwanese boy was admitted to a hospital on April 21 and had been in a coma for 70 days with severe brain haemorrhages.(Unsplash / Representative image)

The boy’s coach, identified by his surname Ho, reportedly not only directed other judo students to practise their throws on Huang, but he himself threw the boy a dozen more times, according to the prosecutors. The boy had complained of a bad headache but the coach continued throwing him to the floor until he turned pale and became unresponsive. He was rushed to Feng Yuan Hospital in central Taichung city after the alleged physical assault.

According to Taiwan News, doctors said the boy’s injuries resembled those from a car crash. The severe haemorrhages prompted doctors to perform craniotomy and after the operation, declared that Huang was in a “brain dead state.” Citing Huang’s family, local media reported that the boy was thrown about 27 times. Prosecutors said his head repeatedly hit the floor but did not specify how many times.

"Wish you can rest in peace in another world and the justice system can finally bring comfort to your family," Taichung city mayor Lu Shiow-yen, who visited the boy in hospital, said in a post on her Facebook page.

Earlier this month, Ho was charged with physical assault resulting in serious injuries and using children to commit a crime, prosecutors said in a statement. The accused has denied any wrongdoing saying that “it was a normal judo lesson. We did not use inappropriate force and had no idea that he sustained grave injuries,” according to the prosecutors.

(With agency inputs)