Chinese Court Jails Six After Hundreds of Preschoolers Suffer Lead Exposure
The Intermediate People’s Court of Lanzhou, located in Gansu province, imposes a life sentence on Li Huifang, who was responsible for operating the kindergarten, according to reports.
Investigators find that Li and Zhu Jinglin, the executive principal of Heshi Peixin Kindergarten in Maiji District, directed and organized the addition of harmful substances to food consumed by children and staff. The substances were reportedly used to enhance the appearance of the products and make them more appealing for promotional purposes.
In addition to life imprisonment, Li is stripped of political rights for life and has personal assets worth 500,000 yuan, equivalent to approximately $74,000, confiscated under the court’s ruling.
Zhu receives a 15-year prison sentence and a fine of 300,000 yuan. Four kitchen employees who followed the instructions are sentenced to between six and eight years in prison and also ordered to pay fines.
A provincial investigation published in July 2025 reveals that the contaminated pastries had been served to children and staff every month since May 2024.
Medical tests conducted on 251 children show that 247 have abnormally elevated blood lead levels, highlighting the scale of the contamination.
All affected children receive hospital care or nutritional treatment at home. By July 20, 2025, most have completed their initial treatment and been discharged from hospital.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
