How to react - adult hitting child?

[Brunelofbrio]

I am on holiday abroad and I was sitting on the balcony just now when a family returned to the property opposite. There was an incident where an adult (I’m guessing the childs father) shouted at a child ( I’m guessing 5-6 years old). The child started to cry and then the man went over and hit him around the head. ( the child had just come back from an activity and was wearing a helmet but I am not sure this is relevant)

I am a visitor here and don’t speak the language. The family across the way are local I think? In the UK I would not be able to ignore something like this (safeguarding is an important part of my job) but here I don’t know what to do. I’ve googled the law here and physical chastisement is illegal in this country.

WWYD?

It's rather a dick thing to do but he was probably aware that his child was wearing a helmet and wouldn't feel it..

Suprised this didn't get more traffic!

Thanks for the replies. I’m still trying to work it out

I think you are trying to attention seek (and the other poster even more so, especially bumping the thread that wasn't even theirs...)

My personal reason was I would not get involved with this. I got regularly hit as a child. Some of it was definitely not deserved but some of it was stemmed because I'd done deliberately bad behaviour. No, it would not be my choice of punishment but that's obvious because it would mean pain towards me!

Even if you wanted to get involved with this, I'm struggling to see how you would. You said you don't speak the language so how are you planning to articulate your concerns to the man in question? Charades?