Teen in China permanently disabled after being punished with 150 squats

School punishment such as push-ups, squats and sit-ups are commonplace, but what happens when it is taken too far?

An incident of a junior high school student in Sichuan, China, becoming disabled after punishment resurfaced in late September as the principal told reporters that student leaders have no right to punish students who violate the rules.

They are only allowed to correct them and report them to the teachers. 

Although the school has yet to come to an agreement with the injured student's parents, the institution has forked out a total of 110,000 yuan (S$23,000) to cover her medical expenses.

According to Global Times, the 14-year-old girl became permanently disabled after she was forced to do 150 squats by a student leader last June. 

The student leader found a packet of snacks on the girl's bed in the dormitory and doled out the punishment as she had broken school rules.

Although she denied owning the snacks and told the student leader she had injured her foot two months earlier, the girl was still made to do 150 squats. 

A teacher, who was present at the time of the incident, did not intervene. 

Following the incident, the girl underwent various medical treatments including surgery at several hospitals.

[[nid:458050]]

Despite their best efforts, she was left with mobility issues for the rest of her life, and can only walk with the help of crutches. Distraught by the injury, the teen also fell into depression. 

The teacher who failed to stop the unfair punishment was also dismissed last July. 

This isn't the first time that excessive squats have caused severe injury. 

In 2019, a 19-year-old girl from Chongqing was admitted to the hospital after challenging her friend to complete 1,000 squats. 

Moral of the story? Moderation is key. 

claudiatan@asiaone.com