A 12-year-old girl in China has suffered brain damage because of a boy classmate’s foolish practical joke.
The boy’s trick turned nasty during an afternoon break in their classroom at a secondary school in Guangzhou, Guangdong province in southeastern China in September 2021.
Full details of the tragedy emerged after recent legal proceedings.
While walking past his classmate’s seat, the boy saw she was standing up and deep in conversation with another student. On a whim, he did what many youngsters have done, pulled the girl’s chair away without her realising.
The girl fell to the floor and the back of her head smashed into the chair. She suffered immediate acute pain, blurred vision and was unable to stand.
Later, in hospital she was diagnosed with injuries to her skull and damaged nerves in her eyes.
Her parents took the boy, his parents and the school to court, demanding they pay compensation to cover medical bills, nutrition fees, care-giving costs and psychological damage.
Nansha District Court in Guangzhou ruled that the boy’s actions had led to the girl’s injuries and ordered him to pay her 100,000 yuan (US$14,000).
The court said the boy was old enough to understand the consequences of his actions, but since he is a juvenile, his parents must pay the compensation.
It was decided the school was not responsible because it had fulfilled its duties in safety management and discipline. It had also assigned teachers to accompany the girl to medical appointments.
The boy’s parents filed an appeal but the Guangzhou Intermediate People’s Court upheld the decision of the lower court in mid-October.
The case caught the attention of mainland social media after it was reported in late October.
“Dragging back the chair is a common trick among students. I did this when I was a kid and the prank was also played on me by my classmates. It’s lucky that none of us were hurt,” said one online observer on Baidu.
“It is vital to inform kids of the potential danger of this prank. I would not have done it if I had known it could result in such serious injuries,” said another.
“Students definitely should not play this kind of trick. It is bound to lead to serious consequences,” agreed a third.