Uploaded June 2013 | Updated September 2026, 2 days ago
A man from China's Jiangxi Province has been released after being kept in a cage by his mother for 11 years.
Like scenes from a movie, the 42-year-old man was kept inside a metal cage at his own home. Metal chains bound his feet, and he wore nothing but a shirt and underwear. That was the fate of Wu Yuanhong, until a news report last month triggered an outcry.
Wu lived as a prisoner in his own home because his mother, Wang Muxiang, had no other ways to contain his violent outbursts. You see, Wu was diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of 15, and in 2001 he was jailed for beating a 13 year old to death. But authorities released him after ruling that his schizophrenia meant he wasn't legally responsible.
So, Wu's mother took matters into her own hands. After episodes of Wu escaping his house and scaring villagers, she personally built a study metal cage to contain him.
And, for 11 years, this 5 feet tall, 6 feet long and 3 feet wide cage became Wu's home. Wang delivers three meals to her son every day though the metal bars.
As you can imagine, this was heartbreaking for Wang. She told reporters that it was like being stabbed with a knife to build this cage for her son, and that her tears have run dry.
But, why did the family have to face this impossible choice in the first place? Why did they have to decide between letting Wu be a potential danger to others, and putting him in a cage?
Well, you see, China's mental health system is far from being developed. China's Ministry of Health said in 2010 that there were only 20,000 psychiatrists in the country to serve China's 1.3 billion people. That's one psychiatrist for every 65,000 people!
So, it's little surprise that many mentally ill people, particularly those in rural China, go without treatment.
As for Wu, well, he was freed last Thursday after local media reported on his story. He's now receiving care at a local psychiatric institution.
A man from China's Jiangxi Province has been released after being kept in a cage by his mother for 11 years.
Like scenes from a movie, the 42-year-old man was kept inside a metal cage at his own home. Metal chains bound his feet, and he wore nothing but a shirt and underwear. That was the fate of Wu Yuanhong, until a news report last month triggered an outcry.
Wu lived as a prisoner in his own home because his mother, Wang Muxiang, had no other ways to contain his violent outbursts. You see, Wu was diagnosed with schizophrenia at the age of 15, and in 2001 he was jailed for beating a 13 year old to death. But authorities released him after ruling that his schizophrenia meant he wasn't legally responsible.
So, Wu's mother took matters into her own hands. After episodes of Wu escaping his house and scaring villagers, she personally built a study metal cage to contain him.
And, for 11 years, this 5 feet tall, 6 feet long and 3 feet wide cage became Wu's home. Wang delivers three meals to her son every day though the metal bars.
As you can imagine, this was heartbreaking for Wang. She told reporters that it was like being stabbed with a knife to build this cage for her son, and that her tears have run dry.
But, why did the family have to face this impossible choice in the first place? Why did they have to decide between letting Wu be a potential danger to others, and putting him in a cage?
Well, you see, China's mental health system is far from being developed. China's Ministry of Health said in 2010 that there were only 20,000 psychiatrists in the country to serve China's 1.3 billion people. That's one psychiatrist for every 65,000 people!
So, it's little surprise that many mentally ill people, particularly those in rural China, go without treatment.
As for Wu, well, he was freed last Thursday after local media reported on his story. He's now receiving care at a local psychiatric institution.
