A court in eastern China ruled in favor of a couple who sued a tattoo parlor for covering half of their teenage son’s body in tattoos.
The high school boy, who has not been identified, got his first tattoos in 2016 at the age of 13, despite stern opposition from his parents.
Since then, he has gotten more and more tattoos and by September 2017, his school demanded that he get them removed.
According to the administration, the boy cannot resume his studies in such state as he would have “a major impact on the appearance of the school,” Qianjiang Evening News reported.
The boy’s father, surnamed Xu, beat him multiple times to deter him from getting more, but such punishment only encouraged him further.
The high schooler spent a total of 1,000 yuan ($145) for all his tattoos, which include demons and dragons on his upper body and arms.
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Enraged, the boy’s parents took to court to complain that the tattoo parlor had infringed the minor’s rights.
This month, the court in Jiangshan, Zhejiang province ruled in their favor, ordering the parlor to pay more than 20,000 yuan ($2,900) in compensation.
The parlor owes 21,000 yuan ($3,045) in compensation, which includes returning the 1,000 yuan ($145) the boy had paid for his tattoos, cover 5,000 yuan ($725) of his medical expenses, and pay 15,000 yuan ($2,175) for causing “mental damages.”
The case has understandably gone viral in the country, where tattoos remain stereotyped and associated with criminals and gangsters.
The boy’s parents, however, could end up spending at least one million yuan ($145,000) to remove their son’s tattoos.
Weibo users had mixed reactions on the matter:
“Parents always have the greater responsibility.”
“He had too much. This person will not seem good at first glance.”
“The question is, why does this school bother? Education is both an obligation and a right.”
“Once he grows up, this boy will understand that his tattoos are products of impulsive decisions.”
“There’s really no problem with tattoos. The problem is that this boy cannot decide for himself at his age.”
Images via CCTV
