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Huang had been left in a coma after being thrown repeatedly by a judo coach. Photo: Handout

Taiwanese boy who was in coma after being thrown 27 times in judo class dies

  • Seven-year-old had been in a coma for 70 days before his parents decided to take him off life support
  • A coach who used throwing techniques on the boy has been indicted for inflicting severe injuries on children, prosecutors say
Taiwan
A seven-year-old Taiwanese boy who was in a coma for over two months after he was repeatedly thrown to the floor during a judo class has died, a hospital said on Wednesday.

The boy, who was identified only by his family name Huang, was rushed to Feng Yuan Hospital in central Taichung city on April 21 after he was reportedly thrown 27 times by his judo coach.

He had been in a coma for 70 days with brain haemorrhages and developed respiratory problems as well as multiple organ failure before his parents decided to take him off life support on Tuesday, a hospital official said.

His coach, identified by his surname Ho, was indicted in June on charges of inflicting severe injuries on children and using children to commit a crime, prosecutors said in a statement.

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The coach instructed other children to practise with Huang even when the boy was not familiar with basic judo movements, and he started to use several throwing techniques on the child after he said “the coach is a big idiot”, according to the statement.

The boy complained of a bad headache but Ho proceeded to throw him a dozen more times, causing him to vomit, it added. The coach did not stop until Huang collapsed unconscious, prosecutors said.

Local media cited his family as saying he was thrown about 27 times. Prosecutors said his head repeatedly hit the floor but did not specify how many times.

Huang begged the coach to stop multiple times, saying he could not bear it any more, according to Taiwan’s Central News Agency.

The boy’s uncle reportedly attended the class but failed to stop the coach.

“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.

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