I was picking up a few bits in my local sainsburys yesterday, and as I went to pay I noticed a woman was quite distressed at the customer service desk (which is next to the self service tills)
I overheard a member of staff ringing someone saying the woman couldn't find her child. It seemed as if the woman was just very panicky but it quickly became obvious she was also quite drunk (this was half 3 in the afternoon).
As soon as the man had come off the phone she spotted her child and charged through a queue of people and started walloping him. And I mean really aggressively, running around with her hands raised hitting him all over his face and body shouting at him. There was a kind of synchronised gaps from everyone that saw as she marched him out of the shop still going.
The child was in a primary school uniform so id guess he was around 10 years old. Now I only have a toddler and I admit I don't know the official laws on smacking but it's not something I'd ever do. I can understand the frustration mixed with relief she must have felt but her reaction was so extreme.
When id paid for my shopping (and I had been scanning and packing the whole time, I wasn't just standing there gawping!) I went over to the member of staff and asked if perhaps he should report it to someone, after all they'd have it on CCTV etc. he said he wasn't sure and he'd find out but it would probably be best to just leave it.
Everyone else in the shop that saw it seemed shocked and there were a few comments of 'child abuse' and things like that but they were followed by little (perhaps shocked) laughs so I genuinely don't know if i overreacted by thinking something should be done.
Aibu?