Representative image of a surgery.
Credit: Pixabay Photo
A 19-year-old mentally ill boy in China who had applied for a job at a beauty clinic was tricked into undergoing a breast implant surgery.
The boy is said to have a mental state of a 5-year-old child, reported Chinese news outlet South China Morning Post. The surgeons are said to have told the boy that the breast enlargement operation will help boost his income via live-streaming.
Clinic's job posting claimed a monthly pay of $400
The report highlighted certain excerpts of chats between the 19-year-old and the beauty clinic staff. It was found that the boy had approached the clinic for a job that reportedly paid a monthly salary of 3,000 yuan ($400).
The victim's mother who goes with the surname Lu, is a resident of Wuhan, Hubei province in central China. She was quoted as saying by the Chinese media house that her son underwent the surgery on July 28 after heeding the advice of staff at a local beauty clinic.
Shocked as she expressed the state of her family, the mother said, “When our family heard about this, we were absolutely shocked. It was like the sky was falling. He’s only 19 years old."
The victim is also said to have enquired about the job openings at the clinic is when he was told by the staff that, “You can get the breast surgery done first and start working once you’ve recovered.”
Victim availed loan of more than $4,075 to repay for surgery
This concerned the boy who reportedly also told the beauty clinic staffers that usually "women undergo such procedures". He also communicated that he did not enough money for the surgery, however, the staff tricked him by saying that the operation was "OK for men".
The beauty clinic staff then told the victim that he could avail a loan and get the surgery done, and repay the same with his earnings from the live streaming. They also conveyed that he can start the live streaming once he recovers.
“We have many live-streamers who undergo cosmetic surgery here and make a lot of money. Some platforms allow withdrawals within a week, and others even allow daily withdrawals,” he was told.
The boy was convinced and underwent the surgery. He had availed a loan of 30,000 yuan ($4,000) and then an additional 7,000 yuan over two years to pay for the surgery.
The victim's mother said, “The surgery made my son’s chest a B-cup, with two long scars underneath. Seeing those scars breaks my heart."
Breast implants removed, victim traumatised
The mother and the victim's family members negotiated with the beauty clinic and after much discussions, the breast implants were removed which she said left her son "traumatised".
The woman is then said to have shared medical reports according to which her son suffered from depression, anxiety, and has a mental capacity of a 5-year-old. The mother then approached the media in China seeking justice and help.
“If the person has no capacity for civil conduct, a guardian, the parents in this case, must sign for such procedures. First, the money must be refunded, and second, if any harm was caused, compensation must be provided,” said Hu Junjie, a lawyer from Hubei Today Law Firm, told Hubei Media Group.
Many people slammed the beauty clinic and their staff for the ill done to the boy. “What? A 19-year-old boy? Breast enlargement? I can’t believe my own eyes,” said one one person on social media.
“Giving breast implants to a 19-year-old boy with the intelligence of a five-year-old. These people are beasts,” said another.