A Chinese boy is fighting for his life after his mother forced him to drink petrol and then set him on fire.
Authorities said the four-year-old was abused then torched in a grotesque plot by his mother to get revenge on her husband who she felt was not treating her with the 'proper respect'.
The tragedy happened in the city of Jinhua in Zhejiang province in the east of China.
Authorities said the four-year-old was abused then torched in a grotesque plot by his mother to get revenge on her husband who she felt was not treating her with the 'proper respect'.
The tragedy happened in the city of Jinhua in Zhejiang province in the east of China.
Neighbours said that the woman and her husband were frequently arguing about money.
The woman, 40-year-old Shen Dan, and the man, 48-year-old Zhang Qiusheng, were both divorced and had then married each other.
Before their marriage, Zhang lived with her daughter, Zhang Mengting, who is a college student now.
After they were married Zhang and Shen had their own son, a boy called Duoduo.
But the two were always rowing about money. At the start of this month the woman - after a particularly heated argument - had left the apartment to return with a can of petrol.
She had then tried to force her son to drink it but had only been partially successful as the boy had tried to fight once the first sip had gone into his mouth.
As his father tried to intervene, she dragged the boy towards the naked flame on the gas stove, spilling petrol over all three of them - and they then all caught fire.
Despite the burns, the father rushed with the boy into the living room where he wrapped his head in a blanket to extinguish the flames. The boy is now in intensive care.
Doctors say the boy has 35 per cent burns mainly over his head, but also that his lungs had been badly damaged from the petrol and the flames.
Even if he survives they say he will almost certainly not be able to speak and will most likely be blind.
The woman and her husband were also hospitalised with 15 per cent burns over their body.
The woman faces criminal charges once the police investigation is complete - but for Zhang his world has ended.
He said: 'I just can't understand it, she had disputes with me about money and she was so furious and angry that she felt the need to lash out by injuring that which was most important to me - my darling son. He's her son too, I just don't understand it.
'I hope I never have to see her again - I will certainly be getting a divorce soon as I can get out of here and find a lawyer.'
The woman, 40-year-old Shen Dan, and the man, 48-year-old Zhang Qiusheng, were both divorced and had then married each other.
Before their marriage, Zhang lived with her daughter, Zhang Mengting, who is a college student now.
After they were married Zhang and Shen had their own son, a boy called Duoduo.
But the two were always rowing about money. At the start of this month the woman - after a particularly heated argument - had left the apartment to return with a can of petrol.
She had then tried to force her son to drink it but had only been partially successful as the boy had tried to fight once the first sip had gone into his mouth.
As his father tried to intervene, she dragged the boy towards the naked flame on the gas stove, spilling petrol over all three of them - and they then all caught fire.
Despite the burns, the father rushed with the boy into the living room where he wrapped his head in a blanket to extinguish the flames. The boy is now in intensive care.
Doctors say the boy has 35 per cent burns mainly over his head, but also that his lungs had been badly damaged from the petrol and the flames.
Even if he survives they say he will almost certainly not be able to speak and will most likely be blind.
The woman and her husband were also hospitalised with 15 per cent burns over their body.
The woman faces criminal charges once the police investigation is complete - but for Zhang his world has ended.
He said: 'I just can't understand it, she had disputes with me about money and she was so furious and angry that she felt the need to lash out by injuring that which was most important to me - my darling son. He's her son too, I just don't understand it.
'I hope I never have to see her again - I will certainly be getting a divorce soon as I can get out of here and find a lawyer.'
No comments:
Post a Comment