Lebanon to probe boy beating video- Updates

Lebanon has ordered an investigation into horrific video footage that has gone viral on the Internet showing a small child beating a boy, believed to be Syrian, urged on by adults.

In the footage, the child, named Abbas, swings a club at the thin, older boy, beating him on various parts of his body, slapping him and kicking him.

“I have asked the attorney general to take open an investigation,” into the video footage, Justice Minister Ashraf Rifi told AFP news agency on Saturday.

“The boy being beaten is most probably Syrian and his family most probably lives in the (eastern) Bekaa Valley,” near the border with Syria, he said.

The video was posted online by the Lebanese portal www.yasour.org which said it obtained it through a mobile phone.

Abbas, who appears to be five or six and has a pony tail, hits the unidentified boy with a club, punches him in the face, slaps him and kicks him in the shin as adults and children offscreen urge tougher action and harder beatings.

The boy tries to shield himself with his arms but a male adult voice orders him to bring his arms down and then tells Abbas to hit him again.

“Abbas hit him, don’t be afraid,” the male voice says.

Syrian Refugees

Abbas is told to slap the boy and does so, then is told to kick him in the stomach and again complies as if it is a game.

The victim whimpers, gets on his knees, implores God and tries again to shield himself.

Another voice, seemingly a young boy, is heard saying: “That wasn’t too hard,” referring to the blows.

The male adult comments: “No it isn’t strong” and urges Abbas to give the other child “a boxing”. ”

Yasour said the voices in the background belong to the “Lebanese parents” of Abbas.

At times an older boy shirtless is seen trying to help Abbas beat the other child but an adult orders him not to interfere.

Lebanon hosts more than a million refugee from Syria’s civil war.

Their presence in the country has exacerbated resources, prompting many Lebanese to blame Syrians for Lebanon’s economic problems and chronic water shortages.

Al Jazeera/AFP

Updates:

The father of the Lebanese child ( Abbas) shown beating the Syrian child was identified as A.T. from the Beqaa district according to New TV. The lebanese boy was identified as Khaled , 9 years old. Both the father and the mother reportedly never knew about the incident and were outraged when they saw the video because the Syrian child was their neighbor.

Here is the picture of Abbas’ father as reported by al Jadeed TV .