In this shocking and disturbing video footage released last summer you see Osama Mohamed Othman, an Egyptian orphanage manager in Giza, abusing children in his care. In the video you can see Othman hitting children with a stick. He kicks children as they run away screaming in pain. The video was uploaded to social media by his estranged wife.
Child Abuse in Egypt is a very common problem. Information about Egyptian Child Abuse released on the Unicef website states:
?The use of physical and emotional violence as a disciplinary method at home concerns 84% of Egyptian children 2-14 years (IDSC, 2009) creating an environment where the use of violence may appear legitimate to solve conflicts. Research by UNICEF in 2013 confirmed both a high degree of acceptance of violence as a disciplinary method and high prevalence of violence against children with at least 80% of children aged 13-17 reporting recent exposure to at least one form of violence (physical, emotional or sexual).?
There is some good news regarding this story. Othman was sentenced to a total of three?years imprisonment with two?years hard labor by the Egyptian government. The Giza prosecutor had ordered the confiscation of the Dar Mecca Al-Mokarama Orphanage and the referral of the children it housed to the Ministry of Social Solidarity.
Unfortunately the Egyptian government does not have the same child protective infrastructure as many western countries have. Many children in Egypt are in dire situations, with virtually no one to advocate on their behalf. And of course it’s safe to say that the cycle of cruelty and violence may be passed on when these children become adults themselves. Often we hear reports of children like these being indoctrinated into terrorist groups. With conditions like this throughout the middle east, it’s easy to see how extremists can promise children a safer more loving environment; while using them to perform barbaric acts of terror.
After this video became widespread, Othman was sentenced to three years in prison.
See the full video below. Please be advised it is very graphic and disturbing.
