Tattoo Parlor in Jiangsu Ordered to Compensate 14-Year-Old Customer

A tattoo parlor in east China has been ordered to compensate a 14-year-old boy after it was found to have illegally provided tattoo services to a minor, Yangcheng Evening News reported on Tuesday.

The case involved a boy surnamed Sun who spent 950 yuan (US$130) on two separate visits to a tattoo shop in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province. Staff neither asked his age nor requested identification before inking large designs on his arm and chest, the report said.

Sun's parents discovered the tattoos by chance and alerted police. The boy later said he was too self-conscious to return to school because of the stares he received.

After failing to reach a settlement with the shop, the family filed a lawsuit seeking a refund, compensation for tattoo removal and emotional distress, as well as a public apology. The local procuratorate backed the case.

Under regulations banning tattoo services for minors, the court ruled the shop 70 percent liable for failing to verify the boy's age, while assigning 30 percent responsibility to his parents for inadequate supervision.

The court ordered the shop to pay 1,192.56 yuan toward medical expenses and 3,500 yuan in compensation for emotional distress, bringing total compensation to more than 4,600 yuan.

The boy had already spent 1,703.65 yuan on one laser removal treatment and was told he would need at least seven to eight, and possibly more than a dozen, additional sessions. He may seek further compensation for future medical costs once they are incurred.