Man arrested over viral video of children hit, kicked

Kota Kinabalu police say the arrest followed a police report lodged over alleged child abuse and intentional harm.

Screenshots from the viral video showing a man striking several children with a helmet and kicking some of them.

PETALING JAYA:

 Police have arrested a man in his 30s to assist in an investigation into a viral video showing several children being hit with a helmet, with some also being kicked, at a business premise in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah.

Kota Kinabalu district police chief Kasim Muda said the arrest followed a report lodged over alleged child abuse and intentional harm.

“The incident is believed to have occurred yesterday (Sunday) at about 11.55pm. It involved a group of madrasah students and a man,” he said in a statement tonight.

The case is being investigated under Section 324 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt with a dangerous weapon, and Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001, which makes it an offence for anyone responsible for the care of a child to “abandon, neglect or expose the said child to danger so as to cause him/her physical or emotional injury”.

Kasim urged the public not to speculate in the case and to respect the privacy of those involved.

“Anyone with information is asked to contact the nearest police station,” he said.

In the video that went viral on social media, a man could be seen striking each student one by one with a helmet and kicking some of them as they slowly formed a line outside the business premise. - FMT