Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Witnessed child abuse in public wwyd?

27 replies

Concernedanon143 · 06/04/2019 19:10

Today i watched a parent punch their child and it was a hard punch to the head. We were in a very public place aswell and i can't begin to think what happens behind closed doors.
I feel sick inside it made me so angry i told the parent that it was wrong and that it had upset my family to see it.
I got some details and reported it to the police but was i right in saying something? Have i made it worse for the poor kid? Is there anything else i should do? Thanks for any responses x

OP posts:
AnyFucker · 06/04/2019 19:12

You did the right thing. What did the police say ?

starzig · 06/04/2019 19:16

There isn't much else you can do. You did the right thing in calling the police though.

Original poster
Concernedanon143 · 06/04/2019 19:21

They took the details and will be reviewing the cctv but they know the name and address from the car details.. i just feel so sad for the kid it was like it was normal and apart from the force of the punch physicaly moving them there was no reaction just ducked and scampered to the car x

OP posts:
AnyFucker · 06/04/2019 19:23

Horrible.

greathat · 06/04/2019 19:24

Well done for doing something about it, there's sadly nothing else you can do.

CharlottesInterWeb · 06/04/2019 19:29

Of course you did the right thing. Well done for reporting it. Hopefully the police will look into it tonight and protect the child.

What an awful thing to witness. I'm sorry it's happened and hope you can recover from the shock soon. Horrendous for you, but it might just be the turn of events that this child needed in order to get help.

Flowers
JaneEyre07 · 06/04/2019 19:30

Of course you did the right thing.

Some people really shouldn't be allowed to breed.

Whatad · 06/04/2019 19:31

100% did the right thing. Bastard.

TheSassyAssassin · 06/04/2019 19:33

Thank you from me for standing up for that child OP Flowers

Original poster
Concernedanon143 · 06/04/2019 19:36

Thankyou for all for saying it was the right thing. I do hope that somebody can contact the family tonight.
I did ring 101 but they redirected me straight to the police so i think it was taken seriously thank god. I do hope they're safe tonight x

OP posts:
Original poster
Concernedanon143 · 06/04/2019 19:37

Thankyou for the flowers x

OP posts:
Whatad · 06/04/2019 19:39

I swear to God, I think that anyone who hits a child needs to be locked up for life. I've had a lifetime of being beaten severely and it has fucked me up no end.

I remember two occasions witnessing it in public. One I was walking along shopping in East Ham and a woman whacked her child (about 6) across the head. The poor child was sobbing bitterly but I had no way of reporting her - she was also with a man and was from a culture different to mine so I kept my nose well out.
Another incident was a woman from my culture absolutely hammering both her children maybe 4 and 7, the whole way down the middle of the town! This one I did report as I was later in Tesco's car park and she was still hammering the poor mites as they were getting out of the car. Those ones didn't even bother crying. Two little boys.
I feel physically sick when I see it and both incidents have stayed on my mind for years.

SS seem keen to act on stupid reports, but not on physical abuse of children.

They are cunts. If I was a more violent person (or even just a few inches taller) I'd hammer the bastards myself.

Windygate · 06/04/2019 19:40

You kept yourself safe but took sufficient details and had the strength of character to report the incident - well done. You did the right thing.

SpamChaudFroid · 06/04/2019 19:42

You did a good thing OP. A lot of people I fear wouldn't have bothered to get involved.

boringlyboring · 06/04/2019 19:43

My heart sank when you described the poor kid’s reactionSad

Well done for acting on this straight away.

Sontagsleere · 06/04/2019 19:45

You did the right thing. A man has been convicted in Ireland recently for smacking his daughter and it was witnessed in a car park. The witness reported. It went to court, he was fined and crucially, it was covered by the media. The more it is highlighted as being unacceptable behaviour towards a child, the more people stop and think. That was the power in her reporting what she saw. Well done.

Original poster
Concernedanon143 · 06/04/2019 19:46

There was no way i was getting any closer the father stood nearly a foot taller than me and was clearly angry already.
I only got the details by luck as i was crossing the road at the lights and he was the car that had stopped so i snapped a pic.
So proud of my dc shouted out the number for childline.
Your right that it stays with you i still feel sick to my stomach for the kid x

OP posts:
Langrish · 06/04/2019 19:48

You bravely did the right thing. Bravely because a lot of people would be scared of repercussions for themselves so would walk on by.
I like to hope I’d do the same but, hand on heart, if it had happened when my kids were little and they were with me and the other parent was frightening I’m not sure I would have confronted them like you did. Well done, you may well have turned someone’s life around.

Original poster
Concernedanon143 · 06/04/2019 19:54

Thankyou langrish i really do hope he doesn't have to deal with that again.
It's painfull to watch and think about x

OP posts:
Original poster
Concernedanon143 · 06/04/2019 20:03

Oh and i don't feel brave to be honest it scared the life out of me but i needed to do something. My dc was very upset with it so i had to show him we could help this kid even in a small way x

OP posts:
CharlottesInterWeb · 06/04/2019 22:02

You've set a great example to your own dc. What a lovely person you are OP.

Claphands · 06/04/2019 22:07

Of course you did the right thing 💐

Onetwistedangel · 06/04/2019 22:18

You did the right thing OP. Children cant defend themselves so it's up to us as adults to step in.
I saw a woman yank a child of about 3 up off the ground by the arm and violently slap across his legs. I stepped in and asked if everything was ok, before stating she really needs to calm down before disciplining her child as that seemed very excessive. The poor child was wailing and she gave me a load of abuse before storming off. I spoke to security in the shopping centre who said they would pass it on. I hope it was passed on and the child and mother are getting help.

Wilberforce2 · 06/04/2019 22:26

You absolutely did the right thing, we can only hope that the police and/or Social Services pay them a visit and check up on those poor kids.

A few years ago I saw a man punch a woman (who I assume was his partner) so hard in the back of the head and shout at her, it made me feel sick for weeks and I still think of her now. I feel awful though because I did nothing 🙁 I was on my own and the man was absolutely huge but I should have said something.

Well done for standing up for those children's.

Original poster
Concernedanon143 · 08/04/2019 22:48

Update from the police tonight. Sounds like it was the right call SS now involved and charges will be pressed. I'm so hopeful it will never happen again x

OP posts:
Swipe left for the next trending thread