Three people have been apprehended in relation to the death of a Chinese youth who is believed to have been beaten by a martial arts trainer earlier this month.
The yet unnamed 8-year-old boy passed away on June 18 at the Third People’s Hospital in Chenyang, as reported by Straits Times.
The owners and a teacher from the Chongde Juying Martial Arts Sports Club in Qingdao were arrested on the same day in relation to the incident, according to the same source.
The child’s parents enrolled him at the martial arts school a day before his death and paid a year’s worth of coaching for $1,440.
Subsequently, the parents received a disturbing video in which their son appeared pale with bruises.
Stills of the footage of the alleged beating were shared online, depicting the boy cowering on the floor wearing an orange T-shirt with the training school’s name printed at the back, as pointed out by Fox News Digital.
The video also showcases a woman’s voice telling the boy that if he continues to collapse, his mother “has told me she will not pick you up for one year”, according to Straits Times.
In addition, the footage displays a man attempting to prop up the child as he complains of having been kicked by the instructor.
Fox reported, as per Chinese media, that the boy’s heart ceased twenty minutes prior to his arrival at the hospital.
Chenyang’s Qingdao Public Security Bureau reveals that an investigation is ongoing regarding the events at the martial arts club, which was only recently licensed in April.
The three suspects are expected to face charges related to “intentional harm leading to death.”