A woman in Malang regency, East Java was caught on camera abusing her young son over homework, but she did not face any legal repercussions over the matter even after authorities got involved.
The incident was filmed in a video that has since circulated on social media. Shot from behind a window, the woman can be seen angrily whipping her 8-year-old son with a water hose several times as she yelled at the young child, scolding him for failing to understand how to do his math homework.
“This is child abuse. The child is being whipped,” the man behind the camera said.
A neighbor described the boy as “diligent and obedient,” but said that the woman treats him harshly almost everyday.
Police apprehended the mother, identified by her initials MA, on Wednesday. The victim, his father, and village officials were also questioned by the police. MA reportedly did not deny that it was her in the video.
Tiksnarto Andaru Rahutomo, who heads the crime investigation unit of Malang Police, said the abuse occurred on Tuesday evening in Turen district, with the victim being her own child.
Her son is currently a third grader at an Islamic school.
“There are bruises on the victim’s body, we strongly suspect that they were caused by the abuse he experienced,” Andaru said.
Malang Police Chief Hendri Umar said MA was angry that her son did not concentrate while studying at home.
“So she taught him over and over, but the son didn’t yet understand. We don’t know about the child’s psychological condition at that time, if he was tired, or because he wanted to play,” Hendri said.
MA then picked up a water hose and whipped it on her son’s leg three times, even going so far as biting his right arm at one point. Her husband soon approached them and tried to calm her down, which stopped her outburst. MA’s high-pitched voice and curses towards her son attracted the attention of their neighbors in the densely populated village, which prompted several of them to film the incident.
According to Hendri, the son was doing well, realized that he made a mistake and said that he still loves his mother. MA was not charged with child abuse despite the evidence against her, but authorities said they will pay special attention to how she treats her child from now on.
“We will continue to monitor, then evaluate and make sure that the abuse does not occur again,” Andaru said.
Meanwhile, the head of Women’s Empowerment and Child Protection Agency (DP3A), Harry Setia Budi, said the son has received assistance from psychologists, who will also determine whether he needs rehabilitation or should be separated from his parents for a while. While MA’s anger could have stemmed from other factors, Harry added that the COVID-19 pandemic has a huge role in familial conflict.
“During the pandemic, many domestic violence [cases] have occurred. Of course there are many factors, and parents sometimes take it out on their children,” Harry said.
