‘Disgusting’: China beauty school intern, 17, forced to bathe, massage male customers’ genitals at salon alerts police
- School and salon have agreement that students are not expected to carry out body care duties for clients of opposite gender
- Salon manager told girl she must comply or leave even after she complained about being groped by male customer
Police in China launched an investigation into a beauty salon after a 17-year-old intern claimed she was forced to bathe and massage male clients, including massaging their genitals.
The student, surnamed Wang, who is taking a beauty and hairdressing course at a vocational school in southwestern China’s Chongqing municipality, began her internship at Yongqi Beauty Salon on July 1.
Despite an agreement between her school and the salon, which stipulates students are not expected to carry out body care duties for clients of the opposite gender, Wang said a manager told her she must or she would be fired.
The girl confided in her teacher who dismissed her concerns, telling her to go to another teacher, but the school has so far not intervened.
An online exchange between the girl and the salon manager showed Wang made it clear she did not want to serve male customers.
“If you are not willing, you can quit the job,” the manager with the surname Yang replied.
“All the workers here must do it,” added the manager.
When the girl said she was groped by a male client, the manager was unsympathetic and asked Wang what she expected her to do about it, saying: “You already told me this at that time. Do you want me to charge into the room to beat him?”
An initial investigation by the police revealed the salon’s management had issues with following the rules for bathing venues.
The salon’s owner is undergoing further investigation by the police, and the local education authority is involved in helping in the case.
Chinese social media has been shocked and outraged by the girl’s experience after it was exposed in mid-September.
“It is so unbelievable! The beauty salon must be closed. Its boss and managers must be punished seriously,” one angry Weibo commenter wrote.
“They are disgusting! She is still a kid. Hope the incident doesn’t leave a psychological shadow on her mind,” commented another.
Scams disguised as genuine employment are frequently reported in mainland media.
In August, Shanghai police arrested fraudsters who had lured more than 10 people by offering them a job with decent salaries then asking the applicants to pay 180,000 yuan (US$25,000) upfront for “studying fees” and to get a job licence.
In September, a man in northeastern China’s Liaoning province told police he was swindled out of 3,000 yuan by someone online promising him an “easy but high-paid” job in Malaysia and asking him to pay the money as a “deposit”. After the victim transferred the cash, the man cut off all contact.
