Ms. Shi Yinghua, 40 years old, was a teacher at the Forestry Farm Elementary School, Jinshantun District, Yichun City, Heilongjiang Province.

On October 20, 1999, local authorities arrested Ms. Shi because she practiced Falun Gong. She was detained in a government office, where she was deprived of sleep and was not allowed to use the toilet. Under the orders of Party Secretary Sun Hongxi, the Head of the “610 Office” Meng Xianhua, Deputy Police Chief Dong Delin, Political and Security Section Head Zhang Xingguo, and Deputy Head of the Political and Security Section Xiao Jingyu, she was sent to a detention center for further persecution. Family visits were not permitted there. She was completely isolated from the outside world and deprived of her freedom. Because of the serious stress, the persecution and the conditions under which she was forced to live, Ms. Shi became mentally devastated. She began to have symptoms of a mental disorder ten days after she was detained.

Even so, the guards pushed Ms. Shi to the ground facing up and then stretched her arms and legs out and tightly shackled them to the four legs of a large frame. Others had to feed her and help her use the toilet. She was fixed in this position 24 hours a day. The shackles that tied her to the frame cut into the flesh of her wrists and ankles. Her limbs were badly injured. Under such excruciating pain she could not help but twist around. However, whenever she twisted, the shackles got tighter and cut her almost to the bone. She bit off half of her tongue while suffering from the unbearable pain. The severed part of her tongue was hanging out of her mouth by a piece of skin, and her mouth was full of blood. The guards claimed that she was faking the pain and brutally inserted a mouth guard, which damaged her gums and broke two of her teeth.

This inhumane torture devastated Ms. Shi both mentally and physically. She suffered a mental collapse and cried and laughed uncontrollably. Despite her condition, the “610 Office” head Meng Xuanhua and Deputy Police Chief Dong Delin and others still accused her of faking her pain. At this point, after suffering such cruel torture, Ms. Shi could not control her bowels and bladder any more. Her face, hands and feet were covered with blood. She could not recognize anybody. Afraid of being sued, the police sent Ms. Shi Yinghua to the Yichun City Mental Hospital for treatment.

Five years later, Ms. Shi has still not recovered. Her eyes are dull, her mind is not clear, and her speech is incoherent. Every time she suffers a relapse, she runs around in the streets and cannot recognize anybody. The scars from the shackles on her wrists and legs protrude one-by-two centimeters from her skin and are clearly visible.

Her family spent their life savings over the past few years to get treatment for her. In order to take care of her, her husband had to quit his job. Her son could no longer enjoy his mother's loving care, and he lives in shock and fear every day.

type=case;women;location=Heilongjiang ,Yichun