Kindergarten Teacher in China Sentenced To Death After She Poisoned 25 Of Her Colleague’s Students

Kindergarten is a place for toddlers to nurture and grow while learning new things.

Unfortunately for this kindergarten in China, these children faced a horrible reality in school one day.

Poison in Food

According to CNA, a court in the central Chinese province of Henan revealed that Wang Yun had added sodium nitrate into porridge that was served to her colleague’s students. The children were aged between three and six.

The incident which took place in March 2019 left 25 children sick. It was reported that the children suffered from vomiting and fainting after consuming the porridge for breakfast.

Unfortunately, one boy subsequently passed away earlier this year after 10 months of being hospitalized and severely ill from the attack.

Sodium Nitrate Poisoning

Sodium nitrate is often used for curing meats and is safe to consume in minute amounts found in such food. However, it can be toxic if consumed in large amounts.

On Monday (28 September), the Jiaozuo City Intermediate People’s Court ruled that Wang Yun was fully aware of the effects of sodium nitrate and went ahead with the attack, which harmed many innocent children.

She had also concealed her motive behind the attack, which were “despicable and vicious” according to the court.

It was revealed that the crime was an act of revenge against her colleague after they had fallen out. They were allegedly fighting over how to discipline and handle their students.

Not The First Time

Consequently, Wang Yun was handed the death sentence in China. In addition to that, the court also ruled that Wang Yun and the manager of the kindergarten must compensate the families of the affected children.

In a statement about their decision, the court said: “The consequences are particularly serious, and (she) should be punished severely in accordance with the law.”

In a twist of events, this is not the first time that Wang Yun has committed a crime with sodium nitrate. The court also revealed that a similar incident happened in 2017, where she poisoned her husband’s mug after they had an argument and caused him minor injuries.

The Risks of Too Much Sodium Nitrate

Sodium nitrate can be found in preserved foods and cured meats, such as bacon, ham and hot dogs.

Don’t be alarmed, those are safe amounts that can be consumed. Although, you may want to reconsider eating too much cured food as you may risk getting high blood pressure. Not fun for the body.

So it’s high time to cut down on the canned food in your pantry and frozen food in your freezer.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in the US, your daily intake of sodium nitrate should only be 3.7 milligrams per kilogram of your body weight.

If infants are poisoned with sodium nitrate, they can develop a blood disorder called methemoglobinemia. Which is what those children in China suffered from after ingesting the sodium nitrate which was laced in their porridge.

Children can typically get nitrate poisoning by consuming unregulated water.