Photo is unrelated to the article. [Getty Images Bank]
Photo is unrelated to the article. [Getty Images Bank]

A group of children in China damaged an expensive Ferrari by climbing on top of it and using it as a slide, sparking a dispute after their parents offered what the car's owner called an insultingly low settlement.

According to the South China Morning Post on Wednesday, a man surnamed Zhang, who lives in Kunming, Yunnan Province, had parked his red Ferrari — worth around 3.6 million yuan (about $530,000) — in an outdoor parking lot before leaving on a business trip.

While away, Zhang received a message from a neighbor saying children had climbed onto the vehicle and were sliding down it. He returned home to find the car in worse condition than he had feared.

CCTV footage showed four boys approaching the vehicle carrying bamboo poles, then climbing onto the Ferrari's roof and repeatedly sliding down it.

The incident left scratches across the vehicle and cracks in part of the bumper.

Zhang estimated that repairs at an authorized Ferrari service center would cost at least 100,000 yuan (about 22 million won), but sought out a general repair shop to reduce costs. One shop quoted 48,000 yuan (about 11 million won), and he ultimately had the vehicle repaired for 29,360 yuan (about 6.7 million won).

"I'm a father myself, so at first I wanted to resolve this as amicably as possible given that they were children," Zhang told the SCMP. But tensions escalated when he met the children's parents at a police station to discuss compensation.

According to Zhang, the parents offered a total of just 5,000 yuan (1.14 million won) and never brought their children to apologize in person.

"I only want to be compensated for the repair costs," he said, adding that he would file a lawsuit if no agreement was reached.

The children and their parents have not made any public statement about the incident. Local media said all of the children are under 10 years old.

Legal experts said the children's actions could constitute a civil tort.

A lawyer at a law firm in Henan Province said that when a minor damages another person's property, the guardian may be held liable for compensation, with the amount determined based on factors such as the vehicle's market value and actual damages. However, under Chinese law, minors under 14 are not subject to administrative detention for public security violations, and criminal liability for intentional property damage applies only from the age of 16.


choigo@heraldcorp.com