In a heartbreaking story from rural China, 42-year-old Wu Yuanhong spent more than a decade confined in a homemade steel cage by his own family after a tragic violent incident.
How It Happened
Wu was reportedly diagnosed with schizophrenia at age 15, a severe mental disorder that can cause hallucinations, delusions, and impaired judgment. In 2001, while experiencing psychosis, he beat a 13-year-old boy from a nearby village to death. Because his illness meant he was not considered legally responsible for the crime, local judicial authorities released him about a year later.
Why the Cage Was Built
After his release, Wu was first kept in shackles by his family. He escaped and wandered around his home village, frightening residents, prompting concern for public safety. His 74-year-old mother, Wang Muxiang, feared he might cause further harm, but when local blacksmiths refused to build a secure enclosure, she made one herself using reinforced steel rods. The result was a narrow cage in her home, barely larger than a small room.
Life Inside the Cage
Images from the time show Wu sitting on blankets inside the small enclosure, with heavy chains around his feet, wearing only a T-shirt and underwear. His mother visited him three times a day to deliver meals and provided a pan for him to use as a toilet. She spoke openly about her pain at having to cage her own son, saying that placing him inside felt like being stabbed with a knife, yet she felt she had no choice due to his violent episodes.
Wider Context on Mental Health Care
Wu’s case highlights broader issues in China’s rural mental health system. Many people with severe psychiatric conditions go untreated due to a lack of resources and qualified professionals, especially outside major cities. At the time, China had only around 20 000 psychiatrists for its 1.35 billion population, and millions suffered from serious mental illness without adequate support.
What It Revealed
This story drew global attention because it underscored the challenges families face when mental illness intersects with public safety concerns, and it prompted discussion about access to mental health care in underserved areas. Wu’s mother repeatedly said that despite her son’s illness and the tragedy he had caused, he was still her son, illustrating the emotional and ethical complexity of her decision to confine him.
Note: Images and reporting from 2013 brought international focus to the case, though there has been no widely reported follow-up on Wu’s condition or situation in subsequent years.