Chinese Boy Has His Eyes Gouged Out

Six-year-old blinded for life

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Jon Woo / Reuters

A six-year-old boy, whose eyes were gouged out, lies on a hospital bed in Taiyuan, Shanxi province, August 27, 2013.

It’s beyond horrifying: a six-year-old Chinese boy lured into a field has his eyes gouged out by an assailant, blinding him forever — even more unthinkably, the woman suspected of committing the monstrous crime may have been trying to harvest the child’s corneas for cash.

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According to China state media via Reuters, the boy, who was from northern Shanxi province, was playing outside but went missing on Saturday, apparently led into a field by an unidentified woman, who then gouged out his eyes and left him bleeding for hours until his parents found him.

The child’s eyes were discovered nearby and retrieved, but doctors were unable to use them to restore his vision. Initial reports noted the corneas had been extracted and passed along public speculation that they’d been removed to be sold on China’s black market for harvested organs. But News.com.au reports that Chinese police say they have, in fact, located the corneas, lowering the probability of an organ-harvesting attack.

News.com.au added that the child, whose surname is Guo, doesn’t yet realize he’s been blinded, and that he’s been asking his family why the sun isn’t coming up.

“We could only tell him that his eyes had some injury and have to be bandaged. [We tell him that] they will be fine after the bandage is removed,” said the boy’s uncle, according to Beijing Youth Daily (via News.com.au). “It is such a difficult question to explain to him. It is the most heartbreaking thing.”

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