Ear piercing Sheffield: CPS issue update after video of child 'forced' to have ears pierced went viral

Parents voiced concerns in October last year when the clip shared online showed a scene at the Lovisa jewellery shop in Meadowhall.

It appeared to show a little girl struggling against having her ears pierced.

Two adult women were shown sitting on the floor holding the girl still and trying to console her as a member of staff pierced her ears. Another member of staff watched on.

In the 30-second viral clip, the child shrieks ‘no no no’ multiple times.

The video was met with anger by viewers who were concerned by the upset girl’s protests, sparking a heated debate about children’s consent.

It led to a statement by South Yorkshire Police that they were “carrying out enquiries to understand the full circumstances”, and asked for anyone with information to come forward.

Now, the force has confirmed they passed the case on to the Crown Prosecution Service – who decided they would not bring any charges.

A spokesperson for SYP said: “This matter was investigated and a file prepared for the Crown Prosecution Service.

“They determined that it was not in the public interest to seek a prosecution.”

The original clip was caught on camera by a teenage girl who was shopping at Meadowhall on October 17, 2021.

She showed it to her mum, Lisha Stephanie, who then uploaded it to her personal Facebook page.

She claimed the video was “just a fraction” of the incident, which reportedly lasted for around 10 minutes.

“They wrestled her down to the floor from the chair and held her down while she begged and pleaded with them not to do it,” said Lisha.

“The child was petrified. There was an audience outside and inside the shop.”

One mum wrote in a comment: “I don't think plastering her all over Facebook, Twitter and where ever else is the way to deal with things like this. It could have been dealt with more privately in my opinion.

“However [...] I do believe the mum should have took control of the situation and told them to stop.”