Chinese kindergarten teacher sentenced to death for poisoning dozens of children

Her offending was described as "vicious and despicable".
Her offending was described as "vicious and despicable". Photo credit: Getty

A Chinese nursery teacher has been sentenced to death for poisoning 25 children, one fatally.

Wang Yun was arrested in March 2019 after children at the kindergarten she taught at in Jiaozuo city had to be rushed to hospital after eating their morning porridge.

The court says she put sodium nitrate in the porridge as revenge after a dispute with her co-worker where they had argued over student management, reports the BBC.

One toddler was severely ill for months before he died in January 2020. 

On Monday the court sentenced her to death, saying it was not the first time she had poisoned someone - in 2017 she poisoned her husband who suffered minor injuries.

Her offending was described as "despicable and vicious" and deserving of "severe punishment". 

While China will not disclose how many people are executed annually, human rights groups believe it to be in the thousands.

The sentence is carried out by firing squad or lethal injection.