Manama: The Saudi Child Care Association (SCCA) has called for identifying and locating the parents of a five-month old baby after a video clip showing them punishing him went viral on social networks.
The parents should be found and severely punished for their atrocious act of hitting the baby and for filming it, Abdul Aziz Al Mushaiti, SCCA member said, quoted by local news site Ain Al Yowm.
“Such a condemnable attitude by the heartless parents is most likely to encourage the phenomenon of hitting children,” he said. “It is utterly rejected and there has to be stringent action against the parents who not only heartlessly hit their baby, but also filmed the horrible act.”
The clip was removed by YouTube “because its content violated YouTube’s Terms of Service.”
Mohammad Ahmad Al Manshi, a professor at the Um Al Qura University, said that the two parents were young and suffer from a publicity stunt problem.
“They considered the baby a toy that they could play with and torture in order to get several ‘likes’ on social networks,” he said. “They had no consideration whatsoever for their small baby and no compassion in their hearts. They should be severely punished for their horrendous act in order to deter others from imitating them. There is an urgent need to put an end to the phenomenon of abusing and torturing babies and children. Human rights associations should offer rewards to those who can help locate the couple, if they are in Saudi Arabia,” he said.
Social network users were unanimous in their condemnation of the act of torture and in their calls to punish the parents.
Last month, a video clip of a Saudi father burning his son with a hot iron bar despite his screams and pleas triggered a wave of condemnation and calls for action.
The father could be clearly seen heating the bar with one hand and holding his child with the other while telling him that he was going to burn him for refusing to eat.
Two other men were later seen holding the child before the father burnt the boy’s foot with the bar. The father and his two companions could be heard giggling as the tortured as the frightened son pleaded for mercy. The clip was apparently shot in the desert.
“This is an act of torture and a criminal offence against an innocent child,” Hajar Ali Ebrahim Al Ateen, a family counsellor, said. “The four men, including the one who filmed the child’s plight, do not deserve to be fathers. They had no mercy or compassion and should be referred to the competent authorities to face stringent action,” she said, quoted by the local media.
Garam Allah Al Zahrani, a rights activist, called for the four men to be put on trial.
“What they committed was a horrible crime,” he said.
Several other activists have voiced their shock over the incident and urged the authorities to identify the men and bring them to justice.
Saudi doctors and activists have been pushing for years for appropriate formal action to protect children in Saudi Arabia from domestic violence and bullying at school.
Their efforts recently received increased attention as the issue of child abuse came under the spotlight following repeated media reports about children being subjected to horrific abuse — often by members of their immediate families. The case last year of a man who tortured his daughter to death sparked national outrage.
According to a social activist, Saudi Arabia recorded 206 cases of violence against children in 2012.
In 2013, Saudi Arabia announced a breakthrough in the fight against abuse by adopting a system that guaranteed protection and provided assistance, treatment, shelter and health, social and psychological care.
Under the system, anyone who becomes aware of a case of abuse must report it without delay and disciplinary and punitive action will be taken against those who cause it.
All employees, both civilians and those in the military, as well as those in the private sector who become aware of the abuse case — by virtue of their work — must report it to their employers, who in turn must alert the social affairs ministry or the police. The identity of those who report cases of abuse is protected and cannot be revealed without their approval.
