whipping her 12-year-old daughter with a belt for sharing
sexually explicit pics of herself on Facebook has gone viral,
sparking a conversation about corporal punishment.
Last Sunday, a video was posted on Facebook showing Helen
Bartlett, a mother of four from Point Fortin, beating her
daughter while hurling profanities at her. The 6 minute clip
shows the angry mum raining blows on the girl, who whimpers in
pain. Oyibo people feel the beating is shocking and call it child
abuse but we are Africans and we have probably seen or
experienced worse.
The woman has since said she does not regret beating the girl
the way she did and is prepared to go to jail to set her
wayward young daughter on the right path. She said since their
father left them, the young girl has been unmanageable and
she's scared the girl will either end up pregnant or killed.
Watch the video after the cut and tell us if you think it was
excessive...
What sparked the brutal beating last Sunday according to the
mother was a text message exchange between the young girl
and a teenage boy who was trying to convince her to have sex
with him.
After reading the messages, the mother said she accessed her
daughter's Facebook profile and discovered photos of the girl
posing 'seductively' in her underwear.
"I stand firmly by my decision. I will go to jail for it,’ the
woman said. ‘I know people are saying the authorities should
charge me for abuse.’
The young girl has since refuted reports that she attempted
suicide after the video went viral and her school mates started
to taunt her. She also spoke in support of her mum, saying the
beating didn't make her feel like her mum didn't love her.
‘I am very sorry for bringing shame on you and the family. I
know you love me dearly. And I love you dearly, too.’
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