Air Pump Stuck Into Chinese Child’s Anus as Prank

Currently a trending topic on popular Chinese microblogging service Sina Weibo as well as a trending search query on leading Chinese search engine Baidu…

Yesterday…

On Sina Weibo:

@小溪办事_王羲: Just went to the hospital to visit Du Chuanwang. This 13-year-old mother-less child had gone to work in an auto repair shop to help take care of his family ended up having a high pressure pneumatic air pump gun stuck into his anus by two workers who then pumped air into him! The child’s intestines have essentially exploded, his scrotum now as large as a watermelon! His internal organs have all been squeezed together by the air pumped into his body, so horrific! The thoughtful child only has one wish, to bring his beloved younger brother there so he can see him. Please help this child. He is in the Xiajin People’s Hospital Intensive Care Unit.

Three days earlier…

On NetEase:

Youth suffers prank, body perforated by air pump

As a joke, two auto repair shop workers in Xiajin county [of Dezhou city in Shandong province] stuck a high-pressure air pump into the anus of young apprentice Du Chuanwang, who was just 13 years old. The immense air pressure immediately perforated the child’s tender young body, and Little Chuanwang was immediately sent to the hospital for surgery.

After being diagnosed, there were over 20 tears and holes in Du Chuanwang’s small and large intestines, injuries to multiple internal organs, stomach bleeding, impaired liver functions, and other symptoms. Even now he is still in the intensive care unit and still in life-threatening condition. Du Chuanwang’s great uncle Dong Yuliang told this reporter that the doctors say there are some indicators that are still deteriorating and continued observation is needed. For Du Zhonghou, his son accidentally suffering such serious injury is simply “thunder from clear skies” [completely unexpected]. The only thing this 38-year-old peasant farmer can do is stand watch outside the intensive care ward and helplessly bury his head in bitter tears.

Du Chuanwang’s great aunt Zhang Meijun says the child lost his mother when he was 7 years old, his mother having died of illness, having been hospitalized in the county for a time and then hospitalized in Linqing county for nearly half a month before dying, leaving behind a trail of debts and his father to farm and take care of housework. This past spring, to obtain a skill/trade in order to help his father take care of the family, 13-year-old Little Chuanwang quit school to become an apprentice at an auto repair shop. Who would’ve known that just after a few months, the child would suffer such a sudden and unexpected calamity.

After just 4-5 days, Little Chuanwang’s medical bills have already cost over 100,000 yuan. At present those responsible have already been detained, but after paying a portion of the expenses, those responsible say they are unable to continue bearing the high medical costs, while the nearly 20,000 yuan expenses each day has left this impoverished family with no shred of hope. The Xiajin County Beicheng Street Dongcang Village Branch Party Secretary told this reporter that he [Du Chuanwang’s father] currently has 3 people on 5-6 mu of land. He is growing cotton, and each mu can bring in 1000 kuai [yuan RMB] which is 5,000-6,000 kuai, not even enough to eat with and there’s still a little child’s school fees, so he hopes everyone can help him.

Back on Sina Weibo…

@小溪办事_王羲: So angry! The doctor told me that when the child first got to the hospital, his arms and legs were both bulging/swollen, purple with internal bleeding, the child’s body having been pumped with 8 units of Atmospheric Pressure, comparable to a car tire. When the doctor urgently released the air, the child’s body made a hissing sound. If those two animals had just pumped a bit more air, the child wouldn’t simply exploded!

@小溪办事_王羲: I found the “murder weapon” at the auto repair shop where Little Chuanwang’s worked, which is the thing in the left photo! Here it is used to remove screws, but if you remove the head, attach a 40cm needle/tube, then it becomes an pneumatic air pump. The two workers had inserted the air gun into the child’s anus, and began pumping in air. A witness says he definitely wasn’t pumped with just a momentary burst, otherwise he couldn’t have reached 8 units of atmospheric pressure!

@小溪办事_王羲: Finally Little Chuanwang’s younger brother has been brought over, the two brothers met in the Intensive Care Unit. The younger brother was so scared he couldn’t speak, until a long time later when he cried out: “Big brother, you have to get better soon, so you can make me a steamed bun!” After their mother passed away, 7-year-old Chuanwang learned how to make steamed buns for meals, and it was he who brought up his little brother. Now that Chuanwan’s windpipe has been cut open, it took a lot of effort before he was able to say “Little brother”. The doctor quietly told me that Chuanwang’s internal organs have all been damaged, that his intestines are hanging out of his body, and his situation is very dangerous.

@小溪办事_王羲: A lot of people have asked how they can donate to Little Chuanwang. Today, I went to open a bank account for his father and will post the information on my microblog tomorrow. The two suspects are 20 and 27 years old respectively, and have already been arrested. Little Chuanwang told me that when he was working at the auto repair shop, he had been hit and yelled at before. A witness says this isn’t the first time he has had air pumped into his anus, its just that the past instances weren’t so serious.

@小溪办事_王羲: Tomorrow I will verify the bank account number and then make it public to everyone. At present, Little Chuanwang has received 49,000 yuan in donations, but its still far from enough. What is more pressing is that his organs have failed, necrosis has appeared on his face, his bones are exposed, and he needs to transfer hospitals immediately! However, the hospitals I have contacted today are all unwilling to take him 1) afraid he has no money and 2) afraid they can’t help him. Can everyone help?

@小溪办事_王羲: Last night I basically didn’t sleep at all, stayed up dealing with private messages and various messages left concerning helping Little Chuanwang. Thank you everyone! I have already made contact with Angel Mom Foundation, and I will post updates on the child’s condition on my microblog when I can today!

@小溪办事_王羲: Many people have asked for ways to donate to Little Chuanwang: The child’s father’s bank account number is 6222021612007747547 at the Xiajin county sub-branch of Industrial and Commercial Bank of China – [account name] 杜舍厚 [Du Shehou] (the child’s father). Additionally, the donation method for the Angel Mom Foundation is: Bank of China Beijing branch Xicui Road sub-branch, account name: 中华少年儿童慈善救助基金会 [China Charities Aid Foundation for Children], account number: 320 756 027 856, please clearly specify: “Angel Mom Foundation, to be used for Du Chuanwang”.

@小溪办事_王羲: Latest information: We’ve taken Little Chuanwang into an ambulance and are rushing to Beijing Hospital. The child’s situation I will ask doctors in a bit and then tell everyone.

@小溪办事_王羲: Latest situation: The situation for Little Chuanwang who had been injured by an air pump gun has worsened. Right now, the most life-threatening issue isn’t the 28 injuries on his internal organs but an unknown bacterial infection causing tissue necrosis, which is rapidly spreading. The necrosis on his face had been the size of a soy bean two days ago became the size of a fist yesterday, and today has caused the bridge of his nose to sink. He needs to be transferred immediately. The hospital says tissue necrosis is related to the injuries from the air pump gun, a pathological change brought about by systemic organ failure.

On Sina Weibo

@小溪办事_王羲: Little Chuanwang asleep, I can’t bear to wake him up. He knows how serious his condition is, but when I told him this morning that he will be transferred to Beijing Bayi Children’s Hospital, he was particularly excited, feeling that he has a chance to be saved, constantly moving his head trying to speak! When he was awake, his eyes were particularly lively, filled with the desire to keep living.

@小溪办事_王羲: Beijing’s 120 [emergency services number] emergency center ambulance has arrived, Little Chuanwang has been carried onto the ambulance, and is being rushed towards Beijing! Thanks to the netizen who this morning at 3am helped the child find an ambulance! We will arrive in Beijing in about 4 hours.

@小溪办事_王羲: The child is on the ambulance, is currently away, and in good spirits. The doctor says the will to survive is very important for the child. We’re currently rushing towards Beijing at no less than 140 km/hr, none of the medical personnel are eating, and we’re also trying to avoid stopping to use the toilets, in order to get to Beijing Bayi Children’s Hospital as soon as possible. They’re already prepared over there, and the moment Little Chuanwang arrives, he’ll enter their Intensive Care Unit.

@小溪办事_王羲: #13-year-old youth punctured by air pump# The child has been awake the entire ride, and even though he’s lying down on the ambulance and can’t move, his eyes keep glancing at the windows around him, in his heart clearly aware of everything that is happening. When I took this photo of him, the little guy even struggled to lift up his hand to wave, to say hello to all the netizens!

Comments on Sina Weibo (selected by Hexun):

此生未离-：

I think as we’re sympathizing with Little Du we shouldn’t forget those two animals. They should be punished by the law. Next I want to ask, where is Little Du’s dad? Your child is only 13 years old, and you have another son who is even smaller, have you forgotten about them?

汽车视觉志：

Why is that the hurt/injured are always children? The ones poisoned by milk are children, the ones killed in school buses are children, the prostitutes government officials visit in brothels are children. As a mother, every time I see this kind of news I have to grit my teeth in hate. Is it enough for them to be merely held responsible? Save our children!

栋子在奋斗：

1) This kind of so-called apprenticeship is actually child labor in disguise so the auto repair shop must bear a certain responsibility. 2) Our country/government happily throws billions and billions of money at Africa and North Korea, yet allows our own 13-year-old children give up school to go be an apprentice, the so-called “would rather be friends with foreigners than serve your own people”. 3) The two workers’ actions constitute strict liability under the crime of intentional injury, Criminal Law §234. 4) This Dezhou isn’t Texas.

叶子歆然：

This society has become so perverse that we can no longer know what people will do. I hope Little Chuanwang will get better soon. Those two bastards should be arrested! Although this world is not always fair, but at least we should maintain our sense of right and wrong and morality, otherwise the good are not reward and the bad happily remain free and unfettered, and then who would still be willing to be a good person? Perhaps then, right and wrong, black and white will have flipped upside-down in this society…

山东聊大律师事务所：

Indirect murder refers to a person’s behavior where the person clearly knows that behavior could result in another person’s death yet adopts a nonchalant and negligent attitude towards the possibility of this result and thereby causes another person’s death. Murder must be severely punished!

尘尘都将永不纯洁：

I see in the comments that there are people defending the criminals, that they initially just wanted to play a joke but didn’t realize it would go too far… You people who are saying this kind of thing, have your heads been kicked by a donkey? Can this be explained as a joke!? Would your joke involve taking the pants off a boy going through puberty!? What more, do these people in this profession not know just how powerful an air pump is!? What they did from the very beginning was characterized by the intent to humiliate! And that is not a joke either.

广州小鱼：

All caused by poverty! These two auto repair workers are just like the 13-year-old youth, at best probably possessing a primary-school to middle-school level of education, so they probably don’t really know the seriousness of whatever they do. Strongly call for China to implement compulsory 12 year education!!! All levels of government must not be in arrears when it comes to education funds!!! Actually, right now, every company every month pays a 2% local education funds tax, so just what exactly is this money being used on?

988刘婷：

Heartrending! Shocking! A 13-years-old child not even grown up having to suffer such an unexpected calamity, just how will he look upon this world and the people around him? “Caring for minors”, this theme truly needs sincere attention. It can’t be looking at only those healthy and happy children around us, but to go pay attention to and care for those children who don’t haven’t been cared for. There are still many children who need care, let’s all do our best!

安妮玫瑰香如故：

A vulgar prank, such ignorant thinking, such sick mentality, the two malicious pranksters must be punished by the law! Education on “The Law on the Protection of Minors” must continue! The auto repair shop was using child labor, and should also be punished! The evil natures of most people is released through jokes and pranks, but jokes and pranks have always been excuses for the psychologically sick/perverse, as well as their means for happily inflicting abuse.