The father of a 20-month-old boy who was found dead on a school
bus in Foshan, South China's Guangdong Province, wants police to
investigate the incident because he suspects the boy's neck was
broken.
Tang Zhengke saw his son's body for the first time at a funeral
home on Wednesday, three days after the boy's death.
The boy, along with three other children, had been picked up by
a teacher on their way to kindergarten at about 7 am on Sunday. The
children were later left alone on the bus.
A teacher who went back to the bus at noon found the boy's body.
By that point, he had been locked in the closed bus for more than
four hours. The temperature was 60 C inside.
The grieving father attempted to pick up his son when he saw the
body, and the boy's head lolled on its neck as though it were
broken, according to a report by the Guangzhou-based newspaper New
Express.
The father immediately grew suspicious that the boy's death was
not accidental.
"Why was my son the only one left on the bus?" Tang was quoted
by the newspaper as saying.
He asked police to bring in legal medical experts to examine the
boy's body.
A preliminary examination indicated that heat stroke was to
blame.
The administration of the kindergarten in Baini Town, Sanshui
District, Foshan, said they would take full responsibility for the
boy's death.
Zhu Yongping, a senior lawyer with Guangdong Datong Law Firm,
told China Daily that the teacher, driver and kindergarten all bore
responsibility.
"If the boy suffocated to death in the bus because of the
carelessness of the driver and teacher, they will be charged with
the crime of causing an unintentional death," Zhu said.
He added that the kindergarten should compensate the parents,
including any costs incurred.
If the parents cannot reach an agreement with the kindergarten,
they will have to turn to the courts.
The kindergarten was ordered to suspend classes after the
incident.
Education authorities in Shanshui District also requested all
kindergartens and primary and middle schools in the district to
carry out safety checks, especially of their busses.
(China Daily August 24, 2007)