A nine-year-old boy was whipped with skipping ropes by his adoptive mother – for not knowing the story of Pinocchio. Photographs of the child, who was also beaten with metal rods and water pipes, have sparked outrage across China after they were shared online. His adoptive mother Li has been arrested on suspicion of child abuse after teachers at his school in Nanjing raised the alarm, says The People’s Daily. The nine-year-old boy was whipped with a skipping rope by his adoptive mother, leaving scars over his body . The 50-year-old had adopted the boy after when he was six after was given up by her cousin, who thought she was sending her child to a better life away from the deprived rural area in which they lived. Instead, shocking images show the child was covered in injuries – including cuts to his ear where he was hit with a metal rod and bruising on his legs and hands when he was smacked with a water pipe and scars all over his back. The abuse was first discovered by the boy’s school six months ago, but teachers assumed it was a one-off case and did nothing more about it. Photographs of the boy's horrific injuries were shared online as his adoptive mother was arrested for abuse . The 50-year-old woman told the boy's school she was 'strict' with him and was trying to correct his bad habits . When his form teacher noticed his injuries were getting worse and the boy was becoming withdrawn and afraid of people, authorities at the school questioned him more. He told them his adoptive mother had carried out the beatings when he didn't know the answers to questions about the children’s book Pinocchio, which she had asked him to study as extra-curriculum homework. The school contacted the woman, who admitted she was ‘strict’ with him and said she was only trying to correct his bad habits, and they contacted the Nanjing Public Security Bureau. The boy was away with his adoptive father during the Chinese Qing Ming festival when the revelations came to light, and they were brought back to Nanjing to protect the child. A statement on bureau’s website confirmed the mother had been arrested and they were investigating the case. The nine-year-old is now temporarily back with his biological parents, and a number of professional psychologists in Nanjing have been enlisted to offer the child support.
WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT .
Child left with horrific scars by adopted mother over homework she set him .
Biological mother had sent her son to live with cousin for a better life .
Adoptive mum now in custody after incident that sparked outrage in China .