Child seen in video being verbally abused by her mother removed from home

The Child Protection and Family Services Agency (CPFSA) says the child seen in an expletive-laced video being verbally abused by her mother has been placed with a next of kin while the agency takes steps to have the matter brought before the court.

“… unuh come tek him [daughter] enuh cah mi aggo murda him [expletive], hear mi ah warn yuh. Hear mi a [expletive] warnin yuh. Hear mi ah [expletive] warnin yuh!” said the mother while recording her child.

“… hear mi ah tell yuh crasses [expletive] boi inna mi life, yuh and yuh pickney. Come tek yuh [expletive] crasses, unwanted pickney out ah mi [expletive] life so mi can go live it! Ah dat mi ah tell yuh, mi nah go stop murda him [expletive]” she continued in the 31-second video.

The video has gone viral on social media platforms, with users denouncing the mother's action and calling for the intervention of the authorities.

The CPFSA says it has since located the toddler and her mother and is intervening in the best interest of the child.

CPFSA CEO Laurette Adams-Thomas says it is deeply distressing and disheartening to witness an adult, in this case the child's mother, verbally and psychologically abusing her child.

“Psychological abuse is often not addressed with the same seriousness as other forms of abuse such as physical or sexual abuse, but it can leave long-lasting scars which can affect them into adulthood,” Adams-Thomas stated.

“It has been linked with negative outcomes such as impaired social, emotional and cognitive development. Research has also shown that children who have suffered psychological abuse have been linked to common mental health illnesses. Psychological abuse can be extremely destructive and has been associated with a range of adverse child outcomes including emotional maladjustment, behavioural problems, poor self-esteem and under achievement,” she added.

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