4-y-o boy seen being abused in viral video now in state care

A four-year-old boy who was seen being verbally abused, allegedly by his father, in a recent viral video on social media has been taken into state care.

The Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) says there have been several such instances of videos of children being harmed.

“In the case of the four-year-old boy... as soon as the video was brought to our attention, we set our team of investigators on it. I am pleased to say that the little boy has been located and is now safely housed,” the CPFSA's acting chief executive officer, Michelle McIntosh Harvey, said.

She has condemned perpetrators of heinous acts against the nation's children.

“The saying the children are our future is so well known it has become cliché. Yet, the number of children who are being harmed and abused keeps rising daily. If we do not protect our children, Jamaica's future is in jeopardy” Harvey noted.

Harvey further noted that while social media can bring cases to its attention, she is cautioning that taking a video of a child being abused and posting it on social media instead of reaching out to the CPFSA or the police, could further put the child in harm's way.

The CPFSA is reiterating that the first point of contact should be a call to its toll-free, 24/7 child abuse reporting number 211 or to the nearest police station.

Child abuse reports may also be made through WhatsApp/text at 876-878-2882, e-mail report@childprotection.gov.jm or visit any CPFSA parish office or its social media pages @cpfsajm.

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