Kindergarten head sentenced to life imprisonment over lead poisoning of children

A court in northwest China's Gansu Province on Friday sentenced six people for producing and selling toxic and harmful food, which poisoned 247 pre-schoolers at a kindergarten in Tianshui City, with the kindergarten's person in charge receiving life imprisonment.



Li Huifang, the person in charge of the Heshi Peixin Kindergarten in Maiji District, and Zhu Jinglin, the executive principal, instructed and organized the addition of toxic materials to food served to children and staff, to make it appear more colorful and attractive for marketing.



According to a verdict issued by the Intermediate People's Court of Lanzhou City in Gansu, Li was sentenced to life imprisonment, deprived of political rights for life, and had 500,000 yuan (about 74,000 U.S. dollars) in personal property confiscated. Zhu received 15 years in prison and a fine of 300,000 yuan. Four kitchen workers were sentenced to between six and eight years in prison, each with fines, for carrying out the instructions.