Chinese kindergarten teacher sentenced to death after poisoning nursery children

A Chinese court has sentenced a kindergarten teacher to death in central China for poisoning 25 nursery children, one of whom died.

Wang Yun was arrested last year on 27 March after children at a kindergarten in Jiaozuo city were rushed to the hospital after eating their morning porridge.

The incident shocked China and triggered global headlines.

At the time it was reported 23 children began vomiting and fainting after eating their breakfast. A police probe was triggered after allegations the teacher had poisoned them.

Wang had a fallout with her colleague, known by her surname Sun, over ‘student management issues’, the Jiaozuo court said in a statement.

The nursery teacher adulterated the food prepared for Sun’s students with sodium nitrite, which is commonly used as a food preservative but can be toxic and possibly fatal from overexposure.

The court also said this was not the first time Ms. Wang had poisoned people, referencing an earlier incident where she bought nitrite online and poisoned her husband who suffered minor injuries.

The court said Wang was ‘despicable and vicious’, and she deserved to be severely punished as the consequences of her crimes were extremely serious.

She was sentenced to death and deprived of political rights for life.

On the other hand, China refuses to disclose how many people it executes, rights groups believe thousands are killed every year.

The sentence is carried out by lethal injection or by firing squad.