A 20-year-old bridesmaid was left with a permanent disability after being subjected to a hun nao, or wedding hazing, in Henan Province, China.
The bridesmaid, Ms Zhang, then sued the newlyweds and nine participants of the hun nao.
She also sought compensation for the damages caused by the incident, which occurred in 2023.
On 14 July, the Ruyang County People’s Court released its first-instance judgment, ordering the newlyweds and participants to pay Ms Zhang over 230,000 yuan (S$44,000) in total.
The bride, Ms Li, invited Ms Zhang to be a bridesmaid at her wedding on 4 Oct 2023.
Image courtesy of vdre on Canva. For illustration purposes only.
At one point during the event, the bridesmaid found herself in the wedding room with 10 men, most of whom were groomsmen.
Ms Zhang was hiding in a closet when one of the groomsmen, identified as Wang Moubing, dragged her out and pushed her onto the bed.
According to South China Morning Post (SCMP), it was also Moubing who suggested the men toss her into the air by holding the bedsheet.
On the first time they threw Ms Zhang into the air, the group of men caught her.
However, they failed on the second time, causing Ms Zhang to fall onto the floor.
A man surnamed Hu, who was in the room but did not participate in the hazing, then carried her downstairs as an ambulance arrived.
Following the incident, the doctors diagnosed Ms Zhang with a lumbar vertebral fracture, and she spent 18 days in the hospital.
During this time, the groom made a group chat for those who were in the wedding room.
They agreed to raise between 40,000 and 50,000 yuan (S$7,600 to S$9,500) for Ms Zhang’s medical expenses.
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The group agreed that the groom would bear 40% of the expenses while the others made up for the remaining 60%, Yangtze Evening Post reported.
In August 2024, a judicial appraisal institute assessed that Ms Zhang had a level nine disability.
The bridesmaid then took the couple and the nine participants to court, demanding 270,000 yuan (S$51,000) in compensation.
The court ordered the couple and the participants to pay a total of 230,000 yuan (S$44,000).
The couple, who were the wedding organisers and should have stopped the wedding hazing in time, were to pay 40% of the amount.
Moubing, who had dragged Ms Zhang out of the cabinet and suggested performing the dangerous prank, was to pay around 50,000 yuan (S$9,500).
The rest of the group, who bore joint liability, were to pay the remaining 90,000 yuan (S$17,000).
Hun nao, which often targeted the newlywed couple and bridesmaids, is originally believed to create a fun atmosphere and expel evil spirits.
However, it received widespread criticism in recent years as it has sometimes been used to humiliate or perpetrate violence, SCMP reported.
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