keg Posted December 13, 2011 Report Share Posted December 13, 2011 Had a bit of an upseetiing day today in that whilst buying some food at the station, i witnessed a child being verbally and physically abused by her mum. As a parent myself and one who broadly supports corporal punishment as a whole, i was shocked by what i saw. The child and her mother and a friend were having a coffee at a table next to mine and the mother was just ranting constantly at the child. The child then went into the shop to get away from her mother, she looked as if she had been sobbing for a while and it wasn't a " i want my own way" whine, it was big gulping sobs. The mother then stood at the door ******* and blinding. The child i think was somewhere betwen 7-9 yrs old. The mother then told her to "get out here or you will get some more" , set her into a chair and continued to lambast her with the child cowering. Then she suddenly reached over and belted her across the head, and when i say belt i mean a hard belt not a tap. She then did that again straight away and it was at this point I decided to get involved. I called 999 straight away then told the mother she could not do that again. She ignored me but within 1 minute of me making the call the police turned up. They took the mother off for a statement and took my details and my statement. I sat back down, the child was still sobbing and i said to the friend that i was sorry but i had been left with no choice. The friend sias that she had warned her a number of times and that the woman's ex partner was casuing stress etc. Whilst i sympathised i said that she could not take it out on her daughter. Hopefully the mother may now get any help she needs. It was a hard call as i only saw a few minutes of it and did not want to jump to conclusions about what i saw but i could not morally pass by. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicky T Posted December 13, 2011 Report Share Posted December 13, 2011 Good for you for standing up and doing something about it. Child abuse shouldn't be tolerated under any circumstances. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OvEr_KiLL Posted December 13, 2011 Report Share Posted December 13, 2011 i saw an obese woman in tesco the other day saying to her young daughter if she didnt hurry up and choose her cereal she would batter her.. see stuff like this all the time Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monster1971 Posted December 13, 2011 Report Share Posted December 13, 2011 what a horrible situation to be in bet you are gonna be worrying about that for a while, but how would you feel if you had turned your back and walked away just try and forget it and move on old chap ,getting involved in family disputes is dodgy at the best of times Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jmooney Posted December 13, 2011 Report Share Posted December 13, 2011 You did the right thing mate. Maybe the woman has problems and needs help, either way, you can't abide the abuse of a child. At the very least the child now knows that it's not normal or right to be treated that way and there are people in the world who care and will help others. You stopped a beating and empowered her if ever so slightly. We're it not for an ocean in between I'd buy you a pint Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keg Posted December 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2011 i hear it sometimes but to actually see it...i know kids jerk our chains sometimes, my own 6 year old does but that child was a picture of abject misery, i freely admit the whole episode had me in tears and i'm a big ish chap. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kes Posted December 13, 2011 Report Share Posted December 13, 2011 I support your stance completely. Children are not to be abused under any circumstances. Well done and do not worry about this - we need more actions such as yours where those who are unable to look after themselves need help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
unapalomablanca Posted December 13, 2011 Report Share Posted December 13, 2011 Was the kid a 'normal' nice kid or a feral underclass type of kid.? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
monster1971 Posted December 13, 2011 Report Share Posted December 13, 2011 if that mother was willing to go to that degree of punishment in a public place it makes you wonder if its the first time and how far she goes in private this has obviously upset you ,dont worry you did all you could do Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marine1980 Posted December 13, 2011 Report Share Posted December 13, 2011 To be honest I wouldn't have got involved! How would you feel if that child has now been taken away from her mother over christmas just because you got involved?? Years ago a slap round the head would have been the least of your worries from your parents! No wonder the chavvs are running riot around are streets, the parents are to scared to disaplin their kids incase some goody two shoes butts in! Only my opinion! Royal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daveo26 Posted December 13, 2011 Report Share Posted December 13, 2011 To be honest I wouldn't have got involved! How would you feel if that child has now been taken away from her mother over christmas just because you got involved?? Years ago a slap round the head would have been the least of your worries from your parents! No wonder the chavvs are running riot around are streets, the parents are to scared to disaplin their kids incase some goody two shoes butts in! Only my opinion! Royal The child is probably glad to be away from the slapping. There is a line that should'nt be cross from being are parent to being a bully. From the sound of it she was a bully. I would have told the woman what I thought but probably not called the feds. I support your decision though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Muggins. Posted December 13, 2011 Report Share Posted December 13, 2011 To be honest I wouldn't have got involved! How would you feel if that child has now been taken away from her mother over christmas just because you got involved?? Years ago a slap round the head would have been the least of your worries from your parents! No wonder the chavvs are running riot around are streets, the parents are to scared to disaplin their kids incase some goody two shoes butts in! Only my opinion! Royal Maybe i`m wrong but it doesn`t sound like the child deserved to be smacked around the head. Even the friend realises there is a problem. How long might it have been before the child was hospitalised................... or worse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kes Posted December 13, 2011 Report Share Posted December 13, 2011 To be honest I wouldn't have got involved! How would you feel if that child has now been taken away from her mother over christmas just because you got involved?? Years ago a slap round the head would have been the least of your worries from your parents! No wonder the chavvs are running riot around are streets, the parents are to scared to disaplin their kids incase some goody two shoes butts in! Only my opinion! Royal Would you treat your kids this way then? If not, and I wouldnt, what he did was right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
arjimlad Posted December 13, 2011 Report Share Posted December 13, 2011 Well done. Smacking a 7-9 yr old child around the head is simply not on. A parent lashing out in anger is not the right way to go about corporal punishment. Children need to be shown affection and given positive attention when they are being good. Spending ages moaning on at children when they are misbehaving does not achieve anything either, just damages their self-esteem. Short sharp correction after due warning is the way to go - and that does not necessarily mean physical punishment either. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keg Posted December 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2011 You are entitled to your opinion Mr Marine,the whole point of the thread was i am interested in other opinions as to whether it was the right thing to do. I had to make a judgement call based on what i saw. I stated at the begining that i broadly support corporal punishment, i was subject to it, my father was ex army and it was only used if all else had failed. I was also caned twice at school and deserved it both times. My point is that there is a huge difference between disciplining a child and what i saw today. i sat as long as i could before taking action and that child did not deserve what she received. from what she was saying she would be happier without her mum. How would i feel if the girl was taken away from her mother over christmas?. Happier than worrying that she was getting the same or worse in private and if that makes me a goody two shoes then i am happy to stand up and be counted. The chavs are running round for many reasons, discipline being just one of them. Two Words. Baby P.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silver pigeon 3 Posted December 13, 2011 Report Share Posted December 13, 2011 Was the kid a 'normal' nice kid or a feral underclass type of kid.? Does it matter what the child is? If you did what you thought was needed then you did the right thing. Not an easy call to make but like has already been said if it was done to such a degree to make you call 999 in a public place you would assume that it also happens at home, maybe to a greater extent. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marine1980 Posted December 13, 2011 Report Share Posted December 13, 2011 Don't get me wrong I don't agree with it but I certainly wouldn't have rang the police! Chances are you have just fuelled the situation and the kid probably got a bigger hiding when she got home because of your actions! Royal Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Sweepy Posted December 13, 2011 Report Share Posted December 13, 2011 I got reported to the police for leaving my children alone at night . They where two and five at the time. A old neighbour of mine had seen me leave the house all dressed up for a night out with the girls( my first one in two years) about 11pm she heard my two year old crying and she reckons she phoned my house and moble to see what was wrong. When she couldn't get hold of me she popped round and knock on windows and doors. Still no reply( So she reckons ) she then phoned the police to say that I had left both my boys home alone. She was waiting for them just as I pulled up,standing outside my house. she told me what she had done and that they where on their way. So I told her it was silly to wait for them outside and invited her in The look on her face as I open the front door and called out my husband name .She didn't stop got a feeling she had a phone call to make !!! What really upset me was the fact I could have arrived home a few mins later and had been greeted with a police car in my drive. the thought that she had even thought I could have done such a thing in the first place.Plus it worried me that it might have been left on record somewhere that I had left them on their own . xxxxSuzy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kdubya Posted December 13, 2011 Report Share Posted December 13, 2011 A kid gets a well deserved smack on the legs.? its called assault by some who whimper about child abuse and cruelty as if the kid was being shot. a 7 to 9-year-old kid gets battered around the head, berated with profanities and basically physically abused to the point that someone totally detached from the kid steps in and rightly calls the police, yet some think that wrong and the abuse of the kid should have been ignored and the mother (loose term that anyone female can give birth not all can be mothers) should have been left to get on with it? a reality check is needed here if you can't tell well-intentioned discipline from total assault? then god help us all, as for the question what if the kid is taken away from the mother for Xmas, all I can say to that is the kid would probably be a darn sight better off for it. to the OP you did the right thing KW Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
keg Posted December 13, 2011 Author Report Share Posted December 13, 2011 I am from Leeds. This was Marylebone station, who else do i call? Suzy, i see your point exactly and the fact was you husband was in so you had done nothing wrong. I sat for as long as i could and tried not to jump to conclusions but could sit there no longer. What else could i have done other than ignore it which wasn't an option. If the mother has issues, she may now get help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twitchynik Posted December 13, 2011 Report Share Posted December 13, 2011 i saw an obese woman in tesco the other day saying to her young daughter if she didnt hurry up and choose her cereal she would batter her.. see stuff like this all the time Surely said fat woman wasn't that hungry? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mossy835 Posted December 13, 2011 Report Share Posted December 13, 2011 you did the right thing,there is two much of it going on i feel sorry for kids like that,hope all turns out ok for the child.well done for doing it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shaun4860 Posted December 13, 2011 Report Share Posted December 13, 2011 (edited) To be honest I wouldn't have got involved! How would you feel if that child has now been taken away from her mother over christmas just because you got involved?? Years ago a slap round the head would have been the least of your worries from your parents! No wonder the chavvs are running riot around are streets, the parents are to scared to disaplin their kids incase some goody two shoes butts in! Only my opinion! Royal you wernt there to make the call, in this case the child is probably glad it was Keg and not you. If it was you and you did nothing, how would you have felt if in the next few days, the childs picture appeared in the papers as another dead child victim of abuse. *Edited to stop it becoming a slanging match* Edited December 13, 2011 by shaun4860 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
harrycatcat1 Posted December 13, 2011 Report Share Posted December 13, 2011 For what its worth I think the op did the right thing Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kes Posted December 13, 2011 Report Share Posted December 13, 2011 I got reported to the police for leaving my children alone at night . They where two and five at the time. A old neighbour of mine had seen me leave the house all dressed up for a night out with the girls( my first one in two years) about 11pm she heard my two year old crying and she reckons she phoned my house and moble to see what was wrong. When she couldn't get hold of me she popped round and knock on windows and doors. Still no reply( So she reckons ) she then phoned the police to say that I had left both my boys home alone. She was waiting for them just as I pulled up,standing outside my house. she told me what she had done and that they where on their way. So I told her it was silly to wait for them outside and invited her in The look on her face as I open the front door and called out my husband name .She didn't stop got a feeling she had a phone call to make !!! What really upset me was the fact I could have arrived home a few mins later and had been greeted with a police car in my drive. the thought that she had even thought I could have done such a thing in the first place.Plus it worried me that it might have been left on record somewhere that I had left them on their own . xxxxSuzy Back to four x's ! Your post reminds me a bit of the concern we all have for police called to shotgun incidents. Its usually completely normal and grossly unfair on the law abiding and maybe only one in a ten thousand needs the attention they all get. Its best for all though that we accept the difficulties and hope that the one in ten thousand is worth all the other hassle. I'm surprised you may be remotely concerned Mrs Sweepy, not nice to come home to but absolutely nothing to record or be concerned about. If however, you have any residual concerns, the data protection act does allow you to ask to check any records held by anyone about you. I'd make a huge bet there's nothing on record, since hubby was at home -just put down as a mistake by 'a concerned member of the public'. Regards, Kes Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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