Teen Killed in Internet Addiction Camp

[Porkinator]

Rather than ridding a teen of his Internet addiction problem, three supervisors decided to beat him to death instead.

The Global Times is reporting that a teenager was beaten to death in an Internet addiction boot camp. Three camp supervisors were responsible for killing 16-year-old Deng Senshan, and was detained by local police this past Sunday. According to the boy's father, Deng Fei, Deng Senshan was killed because he ran too slow.

"My son was very healthy and was not a criminal," the father said. "He just had an Internet addiction when I left him at the camp."

Internet addiction camps are becoming commonplace throughout China, aimed to treat symptoms of "Internet Addiction Disorder" (IAD), a standard terminology recently set in place by a panel of Chinese medical experts. Signs of the disorder include irritation when patients are unable to access the internet, difficulty with sleeping and concentrating, and a fear of social contact.

Deng said that he paid roughly $1,024 (7,000 Yuan) for his son to attend the camp for one month. Information provided by the camp promised that it would help the teen become independent, and by working closely with training teachers, rid him of the Internet addiction. “Our methods are tough but do not include torture or other methods that might damage a child’s health,” reads the mission statement.

After scolding and then beating the teen, the three teachers realized the severity of the injuries inflicted upon Deng Senshan and drove him to the hospital... three hours later. The teen was declared dead ten minutes after his arrival.