A judo coach was questioned by prosecutors in Taiwan for the second time Saturday after a seven-year-old boy was hospitalized and left in a coma following repeated throws by the instructor and an older boy during a practice session. The instructor, identified by the name Ho, was initially released without bail but after reviewing video footage of the incident and conducting a second round of questioning, authorities requested he be detained.

Multiple reports say the child, who had only recently started training, was thrown more than 20 times, first by the older student then, when he complained he was hurt, by the instructor himself until the seven-year-old became unresponsive and an ambulance was called. The boy is in intensive care in a local hospital in a near brain dead condition according to the Taipei Times who also say Ho told prosecutors it was just a normal judo session and he did not use inappropriate force. But the Chinese Taipei Judo Federation said Ho, despite reportedly teaching children for several years, is not licensed by the federation and doesn't possess any known qualifications as a coach.

Photo: Taichung Mayor Lu Shiow-yen (盧秀燕) pays visit to the boy at hospital Saturday. Photo courtesy of the Taichung City government. Per