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Starved girl jumped out of building for food

2011-07-12 16:41    Ecns.cn     Web Editor: Li Heng

Guangzhou (CNS)--In Guangzhou, a seven-year-old girl jumped from a building out of starvation on July 7. This incident has attracted a lot of attention, both at home and abroad.

Registered in Hong Kong, Tongtong (alias) lived with her father and stepmother Cai in Fanyu, Guangzhou. There's no doubt that she had suffered from domestic violence and was desperately hungry. For now, she is under care at the Fanyu Relief Station and her condition is improving. Around 11am on the 10th, her mother and grandmother arrived in Guangzhou.

Tongtong's father works on explosions in mine projects, and her stepmother is unemployed. Fully occupied and stressed, her father had to support the whole family of four (Cai also has her own child with her) with his income. Economically in burden, the couple often quarreled over the naughty kids.

A volunteer in the community initiated a "love relay." During Tongtong's stay in the station, arrangements were made to have her visited and one wish realized every day by the volunteers in turn.

Peng is the only person talking to her father and stepmother about this incident recently. The hardship of raising this girl and the public attention that has come from this incident has caused him to give up his guardianship of her.

The HK Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong has contacted the station and promised to assist if needed. The HK government is getting on the case and "will be cooperative if they are requested to," said a spokesman at the Social Welfare Department in HK.

"The best case scenario will be that Tongtong's mother agrees to sue and regain custody of the child. If she rejects this option though, our center is likely to deprive the father's rights through legal means and send Tongtong to a relative organization in HK," said Ms. Luo, on behalf of the Guangzhou Guibiyuan Children Care Center.

The Hong Kong Federation of Trade Unions has informed the center of their willingness to take full responsibility for Tongtong's delivery under the father's consent.

So far, Tongtong's mother has returned Hong Kong with her mother on the evening of the 11th.