Second teenage web addict attacked in rehab – reports

A TEENAGER has kidney failure after another attack at a Chinese internet rehabilitation camp, state media reports.

The 14-year-old boy was in critical condition in hospital after repeated beatings at an internet rehabilitation camp in southwest China.

The incident in Sichuan province took place just weeks after another teenage boy, sent by his parent to be cured of internet addiction, was beaten to death at a similar centre.

The death triggered online outrage in China and drew worldwide publicity, while medical experts called for specific laws and regulations on the diagnosis and treatment of internet addiction.

In Sichuan, Pu Liang has kidney failure stemming from repeated beatings at the camp where he was being held in solitary confinement when police found him last week, the China Daily reported.

“My son was severely injured after he was beaten three times by the counsellor and other students,” the boy’s father Pu Shiwei told the paper.

“All injuries were done by people in the camp.”

Following the incident, the unregistered Chinese Anti-Traditional Education Training Centre was shut down and its patients sent home, the report said.

Centre counsellors, who denied beating Pu, have been detained by police for questioning. There are ongoing investigations into the beatings of Pu and other patients.

Pu’s family paid the centre 5000 yuan ($882) for treatment to cure the teenager of his addiction to online computer games, it added.

Meanwhile, an autopsy of Deng Senshan, who was found dead at a rehab centre in south China’s Guangxi region earlier this month, has concluded that the 15-year-old was beaten to death, Xinhua news agency said.

Police have detained 13 suspects who worked at the Qihang Salvation Training Camp and placed them under investigation for inflicting intentional injury and operating an illegal camp, the report said.

China has 10 million teenage web addicts, the China Daily said, citing data from the China Youth Internet Association.

The association said last week that there are at least 400 private internet rehabilitation clinics nationwide.