[Explanation] Recently, a 7-year-old boy in Guangdong was burned by his biological father and may face amputation.
The reporter saw the boy at the Southern Hospital of Southern Medical University on November 5th. Ma Jun, the attending physician of the burn department of the hospital, said that the depth of the burn wound on the boy’s hands and forearms reached the level of third-degree burns, and there were skin and subcutaneous soft tissues. Large areas of infection and necrosis may be at risk of amputation.
At present, the treatment is mainly on the restoration of the whole body nutrition level, and the first operation has been performed.
[Explanation] In the ward of the burn department, a 7-year-old boy is lying sideways on a hospital bed. He is skinny and his upper arm is as thin as his peer’s wrist. There are many old scars the size of cigarette butts on his chest and back. There are also wounds on his face and injuries. His arms and palms were wrapped in thick bandages.
[Concurrent] Boy
I didn't speak, my mother thought I was dumb, so she asked my father to beat me.
He tied (me) with a rope, heated it with boiling water, and then beat it with a stick.
I don't want to live with them (parents), (want) with grandparents.
[Explanation] Since admission, the boy’s uncle Huang Huajin has been with the hospital bed. He recalled the incident to reporters. Since October 27, the boy’s father sent the boy’s picture to the WeChat group. He saw the nephew in the picture. The injury was severe, so he rushed to visit him at a local hospital in Huizhou, Guangdong. Later, when he came to see him in pain, he was hospitalized in Nanfang Hospital.
Later, considering that there was no one to take care of the boy, he was transferred to the hospital in his hometown of Maoming. On the evening of October 31, his condition deteriorated and he was transferred from the hospital in Maoming to Nanfang Hospital.
[Concurrent] Boy Uncle Huang Huajin
It must be very heartbroken to see him like this now, who is not heartbroken when he is alone, so cute when he was a child.
[Commentary] Huang Huajin said that the boy's mother had no contact other than one phone call to ask about his condition. Now he just wants to accompany his nephew to heal the injury.
[Concurrent] Boy Uncle Huang Huajin
His mother called me, and she asked me how he (boy) is and what his injuries are.
I told her that the injury is a bit serious now.
She asked me if I had a second operation, and I said no.
She asked me when (the second operation), (I said) I don't know.
[Explanation] Ma Jun told reporters that when he was sent in on the evening of October 31, the boy was accompanied by severe malnutrition in addition to local injuries. He is currently undergoing supportive treatment for the recovery of systemic nutritional levels and conditions and will try his best to pass in the future. The best treatment is to keep the boy's hands.
[Concurrent] Ma Jun, Attending Physician, Burns Department, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University
After our treatment, in addition to local debridement treatment, the infection has been controlled to a certain extent.
Now, we have done a lot of supportive treatments mainly on the nutritional level of the child's whole body and the recovery of nutritional status.
Now the child's entire mental state, including some indicators of nutritional status, is slowly recovering.
The follow-up treatment plan is mainly based on the nutritional support of the whole body, improving his immunity, resistance and anti-infection treatment. In the short term, it is mainly based on this.
Of course, we will try our best to pass our best treatment, hoping that the child's hands can be kept.
Maybe the child will have to undergo another 2 to 3 operations later.
[Explanation] Ma Jun said that even if you are lucky to keep your hands, the muscles, tendons and nerves that control the movement of your fingers, wrists, and forearms are all damaged to varying degrees, and the function of the hands will have very large defects.
[Concurrent] Ma Jun, Attending Physician, Burns Department, Nanfang Hospital, Southern Medical University
In the future, if the functional exercise is done well, it can be said to be able to recover some of the daily routines, such as taking things and doing some very simple things.
If you want to engage in fine operations, such as writing well, it may be more difficult to do some very fine operations.
[Explanation] The reporter learned from Huizhou police that the boy's father has been detained under criminal detention and the case is under further investigation.
[Explanation] Liao Jianxun, a partner of Guangdong Baodian Law Firm and a public interest lawyer, said that from this case, the boy’s father has been suspected of ill-treatment of the ward, and the boy’s father has to bear criminal responsibility.
[Concurrent] Liao Jianxun, a public welfare lawyer, partner of Guangdong Baodian Law Firm
Judging from this case, according to Article 261 of the Criminal Law of the People’s Republic of China, the boy’s father has been suspected of ill-treatment of the ward. Such a crime may be sentenced to fixed-term imprisonment of less than 3 years or criminal detention. If this is finally proved The boy was seriously injured as a result of amputation, and the boy’s father may also be suspected of committing the crime of intentional injury. Therefore, the boy’s father must be held criminally responsible.
For this category, if the parents violate the rights of minors or abuse minors, the local civil affairs department should bear the responsibility and should temporarily supervise the minors. If the guardianship of the parents of the minor is cancelled, then the civil affairs department Minors can also be under long-term guardianship. According to the law, if a minor is willing to live with his grandparents, he can be brought up by his grandparents according to his own wishes.
The whole society must act together, and we should all help when seeing someone infringing on the legal rights of minors.
Reporter He Junjie Cai Minjie reports from Guangzhou
Editor in charge: [Zhou Zhaojun]