Imprisoned Woman Driven to Mental Collapse

Ms. Guo Yuanhe, 70, a Guidong County, Hunan Province resident, was arrested in March 2020. A few months later, in October 2020, she was sentenced to four years and six months for her faith. Since then, she has suffered countless forms of abuse including restricted restroom use, verbal abuse, and brainwashing in Hunan Province Women’s Prison. Because of the persecution, she was driven to mental collapse. While being treated in the Hunan Armed Police Hospital, she was also force-fed and lost eight teeth as a result.

On March 7, 2020, several police officers arrested Guo and took away her bag, which contained 500 yuan (~ $75 USD) in cash and some Falun Gong materials. On March 29, her home was ransacked. Her computers, printers, large amounts of cash, Falun Gong books, and photos of Falun Gong’s founder were confiscated. She was detained in the Chenzhou Detention Center until she was sentenced.

After she was taken to the High Alert Ward in Hunan Women’s Prison, Guo was subjected to intensive brainwashing. This caused her to suffer from delirium in the spring of 2021. The prison guards also harassed her for hours at a time, which put a great deal of mental pressure on her.

Guo was later transferred to the No. 2 Ward and monitored by three inmates around the clock. They verbally abused her and reported her every movement to the prison guards, including the way she walked. Due to the pressure, she suffered a sharp decline in memory and began to speak incoherently.

In June 2021, Guo began to suffer from cramps in her hands and feet. She had difficulty walking and sometimes fell over from losing her balance. Rather than trying to help her, the inmates mocked her for pretending to be ill. This further aggravated her condition and she began to lose sleep. She became thinner day by day.

Prison guard Li Jun and deputy ward chief Hu Rong also verbally abused and humiliated Guo several times. For example, they ordered inmates to put her in a straitjacket during the scorching summer.

Guo became extremely emaciated, and anyone who tried to feed her was punished. She did not eat for several days. When she got weaker, she was force-fed in the infirmary. She was also not allowed to use the restroom.

During another force-feeding in July 2021, she was found to have seriously high blood sugar levels and was then transferred to the Hunan Armed Police Hospital for treatment.

Guo was treated in the hospital for more than two months. During that time, she lost eight teeth as the doctor pried open her mouth during the forced feedings. Without enough teeth, she could hardly chew the food and had to swallow it whole.

Guo was very thin when she was sent back to prison. Her hunger was further exacerbated by inmate Zhou Yanqiong who significantly reduced the amount of food given to her, with the excuse of controlling her blood sugar. She was only given three mouthfuls of rice for each meal.

The High Alert Ward was relocated on January 29, 2022, and Guo was assigned to another cell. As of today, her mental state is stable.

Based on an original article from Minghui.org: Imprisoned Woman Once Driven to Mental Collapse, Loses Eight Teeth During Force-feeding | Falun Dafa – Minghui.org