Kindergarten head gets life sentence for poisoning 247 children in NW China

According to a verdict issued by the Intermediate People's Court of Lanzhou City on Friday, Li Huifang, head of the Heshi Peixin Kindergarten in Tianshui's Maiji District, was sentenced to life imprisonment, stripped of political rights for life and had 500,000 yuan ($74,000) in personal assets confiscated. Executive principal Zhu Jinglin was sentenced to 15 years in prison and fined 300,000 yuan.

The court found that Li and Zhu instructed staff to add toxic substances to food served to children and employees to make the products appear more colorful and attractive. Four kitchen workers who carried out the orders received prison terms ranging from six to eight years and were also fined.

A provincial investigation report released in July 2025 found that contaminated pastries had been served to children and staff monthly since May 2024. Tests showed that 247 of 251 children examined had abnormal blood lead levels.

All affected children received hospital treatment or nutritional interventions at home. By July 20, 2025, most had completed their first round of treatment and had been discharged from hospital. Medical experts reported an average 40.21% reduction in blood lead levels, meeting projected treatment targets.

The investigation also led to disciplinary probes involving 10 local officials, including the provincial health commission director and senior leaders in Tianshui. The Gansu provincial government has pledged continued support for the children's medical care and recovery.

Earlier, it was reported that a North Carolina man had been sentenced to 18 months in prison after using automated accounts to generate billions of streams of AI-created songs and collect more than $8 million in royalties.