It was the very first crime on the island
Caldey Island, an island off the Welsh coast, is a holy island populated by a small community of perfume making monks. In addition to perfume production, the island also has a chocolate factory wherein the island’s first crime has reportedly been committed.
A visitor to the island allegedly hit is 7-year-old son inside the chocolate factory because he was misbehaving. Concerned monks saw what happened and called the police. The island was so remote that police had to take a lifeboat two miles to the island so that they can arrest the visitor.
The child had ADHD and was on the autism spectrum
Horrified visitors said that they saw the father shouting at the boy, before lifting him up by the throat, put him down, and then slapped him on the back of the head.
According to reports, the father told police that he did not want to hurt his son, but agreed that he might have been unreasonable. He added that the child had ADHD and was on the autism spectrum.
Mike Kelleher, the father’s defendant, said: “The boy doesn’t like crowds and queuing, and doesn’t see danger as others do.”
“The father said his son was misbehaving and running up and down the steps, and he was concerned that he would hurt himself or others.”
He adds, “The boy said that his daddy hadn’t put his hands around his throat and that he was really good to him. The father is deeply upset and didn’t want to hurt his son.”
The father had been released on bail following a court hearing.
Go to the next page to learn what you should do if you witness abuse.
What should you do if you witness abuse?
Witnessing abuse is horrifying to a lot of people. And sometimes people just sit idly by if they see a child being physically hurt or emotionally abused by a parent or guardian. That’s why it’s up to us to change that behavior and start reporting abuse whenever we see it.
Here are some things that you should do in case you witness abuse:
- Confront. In some cases, direct confrontation is the best course of action if you see abuse. Go up to the parent or guardian who has hurt the child and tell them that what they did was wrong. However, only confront someone if you think that it’s safe. Violent people can hurt you if you confront them, so be very careful.
- Report. Other times it’s best to report the incident to either child services or the police. Make sure to take note of when and where it happened as well as the appearance of the parent and the child that was hurt.
- Intervene. If you can see that a parent is physically hurting their child, such as hitting them, you should intervene to stop them from hurting the child further. It can sometimes be dangerous, but the safety of the child is the most important thing.
- Call for help. If you’re afraid that you might get hurt or the situation will escalate, don’t hesitate to call for help. You can try calling the police or security in the area so that they can intervene and help the child out.
READ: Little girl’s drawings reveal horrible abuse suffered at the hands of a priest
Sources: dailymail.co.uk, theguardian.co.uk, theguardian.com
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