I reported someone today for child abuse.

[Pipeup]

Name changed as this is outing.

I watched a mother slam her young child to the floor and throw a bottle at him amongst other things.

I couldn't do much to intervene as I had my own child with me plus a friend of mine and her children. We both saw the full incident and I called the police straight away to report.

What I dont get though is why people are trying to make excuses for this kind of abuse.

I had a message off someone who knows the woman in question saying that her children are a right handful but surely there's a difference between discipline and violence.

Someone else came forward and said that she saw the same woman grab her child by the harm so forcefully she was actually worried it could of broke his arm.

So mumsnet did I do the right thing? If you. saw this happening would you report or turn a blind eye?

I've never reported anyone in my whole life for anything but seeing a child that frightened and distressed really shocked and upset me and the people I was with. I will admit I didn't see what happened in the minutes leading up to whay happened it was the the first push that caught my eye she sent him anout 5 meters across the grass it was that forceful then threw the bottle as he walked back towards her crying she then grabbed him by both arms swung him and threw him to the ground.

Aside from reporting what else could I of done differently in that situation especially when I had children with me myself. A lot of people are saying i should of hit her! I'm not violent at all and what sort of example is that for children anyway?

same park all saying that saw the same thing but as far as I'm aware I'm the only person who bothered to report it and that disgusts.

People like to gossip but never actually do anything.

@Pipeup you did a brave thing reporting her and it's definitely for the best. That little boy has been taken to safety because of your actions.

Ignore the people threatening you, as with most people in this city, all mouth and no action I'm sure!

Caroelle is right, chances are she is already know by social services, the information you gave could help towards an investigation that’s already underway.

You did the right thing in reporting. Wrong thing in putting on Facebook though as there are people out there who will take the law into their own hands and I strongly disagree with that, it's not the job of the public to be enforcers.

Oh the poor kid, you definitely did the right thing.
Totally irrelevant but just out of curiosity, how old was the child?
It always worries me that if people act like this in public then what on earth are they capable of in private?

If I had to giess the child's age I would say he was between the age of 5 and 7 im totally rubbish at guessing child's ages and a lot of children I know look very young for their age.

Seems it was all a total waste of time! A few others have come forward but now the police are saying there's no evidence even though at least 8 others are willing to confirm what I have said including the 2 people who were with me and 2 other family's from the park.

Seems to me the system is there to protect the abusers not the victims and it's even worse in the case of children for the good it's done I may as well of turned a blind eye I know all of this because a very distraught family memeber of the boy has got in contact with me. I guess that means the mother won't be offered any support either. Awful outcome for all. I even rang ss myself and protested I dont know if that's done any good.

It wasn't a waste of time OP at least that child is now known to SS if they weren't previously. If police are ever called to their address or SS receive a concern call they have the previous there and most importantly of all you have broken the silence. Most abusers rely on people not saying anything, the vast majority of people don't want to get involved and will never ever stand up and be counted. In my mind that makes them just as bad as the abuser, by remaining silent they are knowingly allowing the abuse to continue. You have put it out there, people know and will be talking about it, she will hopefully be on her best behaviour as she knows she has had strike 1 and that any more reports will start to raise the alarm further. People will be more likely to report her seeing that someone else has already done so. Children die because people won't speak out, well done for not being another one of those people.

Makes me sick to think how many other children there are out there being failed by the system. I can honestly say I hope I'm never put in this situation again but if I am id do the same.

Pipeup - You were so brave to take action on behalf of this child and for the outcome to be that nothing is going to be done it is so bad for that child and for so many other children,
Some people may have been encouraged to make reports after seeing how you coped with this.
Every time something awful happens to a child it is said that lessons will be learned but it never seems to be the case

It wasn't a waste of time. The family and friends of the mother will now know. Hopefully the father of the kid will go for full custody, and family and friends will keep an eye on them. Obviously you can't know, but you can hope.

Omg that's awful op. Don't feel bad.
It's heartbreaking nothing is being done though. Does anyone know another route to report? The freaking police commissioner? How far do you have to go to protect a child, before something worse happens. Write it all down op.

Just because police aren't doing anything didn't mean social services won't, or the kids dad.

I think your next step has to be to contact SS if you haven't already. The burden of proof the police have to provide in order to prosecute is immense. The burden of proof for SS is a lot less!

I think your next step has to be to contact SS if you haven't already.
OP said she has done and police would have had to pass it on too. SS won't tell OP anything about their response.

That all happened incredibly quickly..?

You know you did the right thing.

But how come people were coming forward about it. How did they know?

If that’s what she does in public, I dread to think what she does when they are alone together.
Well done for stepping up for that child instead of doing the easy thing and turning a blind eye hoping someone else will deal with it

Facebook was the right thing to do.
I think people forgot how little police investigations are done. Or how shit the police budget is. Or anything pretty much short of murder and the police won't attend or even speak to you because they have too much to deal with. No one wants to be a vigilante (most people) but we have to help vulnerable people in society when the police can't.
Super shit that with witnesses the police and SS are doing nothing. But I can't say I'm surprised these days. They only intervene when things are too late.

I reported an incident to the police too. A mum and dad with their two children. dad rams the pushchair into the older child and knocks him over then yells at him to get up. In the shop! What an absolute cnut, tbh. Some people don't deserve children and they were an example of that. Always report it. If they're willing to do that in public, imagine what they're doing at home. Well done, OP.

100% the right thing to do in this instance