A shocking incident in Shanghai has sparked widespread debate on parenting after a teenage girl stole her mother’s jewellery worth one million yuan (approx. RM620,900) and sold it for just 60 yuan (approx. RM36) to buy lip studs and earrings.
The story unfolded when the mother, surnamed Wang, discovered that her daughter, surnamed Li, had sold her valuable jewellery for a fraction of its worth. Wang immediately reported the theft to the Wanli police station of Putuo Public Security Bureau.
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According to South China Morning Post, investigations revealed that Li, who was going through an “adolescent rebellion,“ took the jewellery from her home to get some pocket money.
She mistakenly believed the items were fake and sold them to a jade recycling shop at a local market.
“I had no idea why she wanted to sell it. She said she needed money that day. When I asked how much, she told me, ‘60 yuan’.
“I asked why, and she said, ‘I saw someone with lip studs, and I thought they looked great. I wanted one too,” Wang told the police.
“She said that the lip stud cost about 30 yuan (approx. RM18), and they will give me another pair of earrings for 30 yuan, so 60 yuan total,” she mentioned
The case gained significant attention online, prompting heated debates on mainland Chinese social media about the responsibilities of parents.
Some netizens sided with the parents, questioning why they didn’t give their daughter pocket money in the first place.
“If the family owns a million-yuan worth of jewellery, why not give the child some pocket money?” one person commented.
Others sympathised with Li’s desire for the lip studs but criticised the parents for not providing enough guidance.
“A teenage girl selling jewellery for 60 yuan to get lip studs is something parents need to reflect on. With such wealth, could they not spare some pocket money?” said another.
However, many condemned the act as theft.
“This whole situation is a mess, troubling for the shop owner, the police, and everyone involved.
“Adolescents need to communicate with their parents. Stealing from your family is still theft. This is a failure in parenting, not an excuse to blame teenage rebellion,” stated another netizen.
Following the investigation, police quickly reviewed surveillance footage and coordinated with the market management to recover the jewellery.
“The shop owner was out that day, so we contacted them by phone and arranged for them to come to the police station for further coordination,” said police officer Fan Gaojie.
The items were successfully returned to Wang.
