Child beggar says she was tortured by 'dad'
By Zhang Xuanchen |
February 17, 2011, Thursday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
AN eight-year-old girl released from a street performing group said her boss cut off part of her tongue, ears and mouth, pulled off fingernails and forced her to eat dirt as punishment for not meeting her begging quota.
Ren Fangfang burst into tears when recalling her three-year ordeal as a member of a circus-style child performing group organized by Zhai Xuefeng, Southern Metropolis Daily reported yesterday.
In 2007, Zhai came to Ren's home in Taikang County, Henan Province, asking her family to rent her for performances.
Ren's parents agreed as Zhai was a relative and they believed he would take good care of their daughter. In return, the family received 5,000 yuan (US$759.07).
But life with Zhai, whom Ren was required to call "dad," soon became a nightmare, the report said.
She was ordered to contort her body and beg for money on streets.
If she didn't meet revenue targets, Ren told the newspaper she would be badly beaten or abused by her "dad."
Ren now has numerous injuries. Her father took her medical report to argue with Zhai, who settled the incident by giving the family 22,000 yuan in compensation, the report said.
Street performers
Song Hao, an eight-year-old boy living in a nearby village, shares a similar story. The boy was employed to perform on streets for three years.
He told the newspaper he lost four teeth during a severe beating by his boss and was crammed into a fridge for not reaching his daily target of soliciting 300 yuan.
Song was returned home last August and now has an intense fear of strangers.
Ren and Song are among dozens of children from the poverty-stricken area where renting children to street performing groups has been going on for about a decade.
A village official told the paper at least 11 people there have made big fortunes by renting children from their parents for street performances or begging.
A family usually signs a contract when their child is used for such purposes. They receive compensation if the kid goes missing or is tortured, the report said.
Some kids go missing while most are eventually returned. But once home, these children usually have a difficult time overcoming the years of physical abuse from their begging days, the report said.
Ren Fangfang burst into tears when recalling her three-year ordeal as a member of a circus-style child performing group organized by Zhai Xuefeng, Southern Metropolis Daily reported yesterday.
In 2007, Zhai came to Ren's home in Taikang County, Henan Province, asking her family to rent her for performances.
Ren's parents agreed as Zhai was a relative and they believed he would take good care of their daughter. In return, the family received 5,000 yuan (US$759.07).
But life with Zhai, whom Ren was required to call "dad," soon became a nightmare, the report said.
She was ordered to contort her body and beg for money on streets.
If she didn't meet revenue targets, Ren told the newspaper she would be badly beaten or abused by her "dad."
Ren now has numerous injuries. Her father took her medical report to argue with Zhai, who settled the incident by giving the family 22,000 yuan in compensation, the report said.
Street performers
Song Hao, an eight-year-old boy living in a nearby village, shares a similar story. The boy was employed to perform on streets for three years.
He told the newspaper he lost four teeth during a severe beating by his boss and was crammed into a fridge for not reaching his daily target of soliciting 300 yuan.
Song was returned home last August and now has an intense fear of strangers.
Ren and Song are among dozens of children from the poverty-stricken area where renting children to street performing groups has been going on for about a decade.
A village official told the paper at least 11 people there have made big fortunes by renting children from their parents for street performances or begging.
A family usually signs a contract when their child is used for such purposes. They receive compensation if the kid goes missing or is tortured, the report said.
Some kids go missing while most are eventually returned. But once home, these children usually have a difficult time overcoming the years of physical abuse from their begging days, the report said.
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