Two 17-year-old boys in China who urinated into a Haidilao hot pot earlier this year have officially faced the consequences of their shocking act.
On October 9, China’s Supreme People’s Court confirmed that the verdict against the two offenders surnamed Tang and Wu had taken legal effect, according to Sina News. The case, which sparked nationwide outrage, stemmed from an incident at a Haidilao restaurant in Shanghai in February.
During the first trial on September 12, the Huangpu District People’s Court ordered the two teenagers and their parents to publicly apologize through the media and to pay 2.2 million yuan (approximately USD 309,000) in compensation to the popular hot pot chain.
The compensation covers the cost of replacing and disinfecting restaurant utensils, business losses, brand reputation damage, and legal fees. The court specified that the payment would be drawn from the boys’ personal assets, with the remaining amount to be covered by their parents.
The incident occurred in the early hours of February 24, when Tang and Wu, after a night of drinking, stood on the dining table at a Haidilao branch and urinated into a communal hot pot while filming the act. The video was later uploaded online, immediately triggering public outrage.
Police in Shanghai’s Huangpu District confirmed the incident on March 8, announcing that both individuals had been placed under administrative detention.
The scandal quickly escalated across Chinese social media, severely damaging Haidilao’s image. In response, the restaurant chain issued a formal statement on March 12, apologizing to customers and announcing that it had refunded all 4,000 transactions made at the affected Shanghai branch between February 24 and March 8. Additionally, Haidilao offered ten times the meal price as compensation to affected diners.
A Haidilao spokesperson stated at the time, “We are deeply ashamed and sincerely apologize to our customers. This incident not only harmed our brand reputation but also broke the trust our consumers place in us.”
With the court’s decision now finalized, the infamous “Haidilao hot pot urination case” — one of China’s most disturbing viral scandals of the year — has officially come to a close.
Sources: Znews
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