Man beating kids at Egyptian orphanage sparks outrage

[DJKeefy]

Video of man beating kids at Egyptian orphanage sparks outrage.

Officials are looking into a Giza orphanage after a video of its manager beating children was allegedly uploaded by his wife 'to expose him'.

Authorities have opened an investigation into a video that circulated online Sunday showing children being physically abused in a Giza orphanage.

The video which sparked fury online showed a group of children being badly beaten and kicked allegedly by the orphanage manager.

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The two-minute video clip published on Facebook and YouTube on Sunday showed a man, now known to be in the Makka El-Mokrama orphanage in the Haram area of Giza, while he was spanking and violently beating a group of children as punishment for apparently disobeying his orders and turning on the TV and opening the refrigerator without his permission.

It was not clear who filmed the clip, which was captured by mobile phone, or how it was uploaded online, but the children are wearing summer clothing, which suggested that it was taken recently.

However, on Sunday evening, the orphanage's owner – who is also the wife of the man – told Al-Ahram's Arabic news website that she had taken the video.

"I am the owner of that orphanage and the one who assaulted the children is my husband," said Elham Eid Awad.

"He used to beat the children and that's why I filmed him and uploaded it online: in order to expose him," she said, adding that she filmed the violent scene two months ago.

The video was shared by social media users who called on the prosecutor-general and government to investigate and arrest the orphanage's owner.

A group of children rights' activists also reported the video and the owner of the orphanage to the prosecutor-general.

The online campaign paid off when Ghada Wali, social solidarity minister, issued a decision to transfer the children to another orphanage and to investigate the case a few hours after the case was exposed online.

News reports later said that a police force and officials from the solidarity ministry had gone to the orphanage and taken the children to another orphanage.

In statements to private satellite channel ONTV Sunday, Wali said she had also reported the orphanage and its officials to the interior ministry as well the prosecutor-general.

She said her ministry had previously reported the same orphanage to the prosecutor-general for financial violations.

Earlier media reports showed several complaints dating back to 2011 regarding physical abuse and corruption by the orphanage's owner and manager.

Aziza Amar, head of social services at the ministry and in charge of the investigation into the orphanage, said that the incident in the video "has not yet been proven", according to Al-Ahram.

Source: http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/107646.aspx

[Yildez]

That's absolutely shocking. It looked like he's beating them with a piece of wood, and kicking them hard. Unbelievable, words fail me.

[Mad Dilys]

Not proven?

Surely a simple lock on the fridge is all that's needed.

No excuse anyway.

[Who2]

Years ago an Englishman I always thought 'suspect was caught beating one of the kids at Sunshine, he was obviously kicked out but I always knew he was 'dodgy and shouldn't have been around children, but mistakes can happen...

[Bullet Magnet]

That's what needed to happen in this case. Kick that bloody manager out, so the kids are safe.
Why did the kids have to leave ? They have gone through enough and need stability in their lives.
This guy should be in the Police station now, receiving some good old Police Justice...

[Ruby Slippers]

How can that be 'not proven'? Are they going to say that he was 'just playing' with the children? Jeez!

[HEPZIBAH]

Sickening, just sickening.

[Dusak]

This man is an out and out ******* of the highest caliber. These youngsters have already suffered enough in their relatively short lives. All children can be naughty or disobedient, but the answer has never been a beating. But let us not forget, this is common practice towards children in this and many other countries. I have witnessed some pretty wicked beatings on the streets, the local transport, shops. And I have to say, its always the mother or sisters dishing out the punishment for the slightest of misdemeanors.

I have heard many disturbing stories concerning the Sunshine orphanage from past volunteers. These, and the one the vid highlight, just reenforce my confusion towards leaving any of my wealth to local charities.

[Bullet Magnet]

I have to commend the bravery of Elham Eid Awad (the lady in question ) who filmed her husband doing this.
She is a good lady no doubt, and I am sure most people working within charities do so out of compassion and a willingness to want to help.
Sadly, these organisations CAN attract predators, cowardly predators who pick on the vulnerable because they know they have little or no voice.

I would still give to these charities because overall they do a good job, despite the bad apples, which hopefully get ousted very quickly.

[HEPZIBAH]

Sadly, these organisations CAN attract predators, cowardly predators who pick on the vulnerable because they know they have little or no voice.

I think sometimes, that it is a case where the person is not a predator or bully initially but that they become so overwhelmed by the problems before them, and no support from those above them - training, staffing, finances etc. - , that they eventually crumble and lash out at the very ones they are there to protect. That is not an acceptable excuse, I know, but I do think it is a strong possibility in some cases. Most of us who have ever had any responsibility for children have, on occasion, been pushed so hard that we've had to walk away and compose ourselves. Sadly, not everyone has that control.

Nevertheless, what was shown on that video was unacceptable and sickening. My first reaction when I see clips like that is to want to condemn the photographer for not intervening, but sometimes continuing to record and then submitting as evidence is the only way forward to reach greater protection for those being abused.

[DJKeefy]

Giza governor dissolves board at orphanage accused of beating children.

Giza governor Ali Abdel-Rahman has issued orders to dissolve the board of Makaa El-Mokarama orphanage in Haram following reports of child abuse in the orphanage.

Abdel-Rahman assigned a temporary committee to manage the orphanage for three months and assigned another committee to prepare a report about the violations committed by the orphanage manager and owner.

On Sunday, a video clip emerged online showing the orphanage manager and its owner beating violently a group of children in the orphanage for disobeying his orders, creating anger among social media users.

Social media users demanded the authorities open an immediate investigation. A group of children rights activists reported the clip as well the orphanage manager to the prosecutor general.

Minister of Social Solidarity Ghada Wali also reported the incident to the prosecutor general, giving her quick orders to transfer the children to another orphanage until the end of investigations.

The prosecutor general started investigating the incident on Sunday night. He ordered the detention of the orphanage manager for 15 days pending investigations.

In another surprise related to the orphanage, the estranged wife of the orphange manager revealed to the media that she was the one who filmed her husband while beating the children in order to expose him. Despite her first statements to Al-Ahram Arabic news website that she filmed the abuse of children by her husband two months ago, she told other newspapers and websites that she filmed it a year ago.

Both the orphanage manager and his wife are currently being investigated.

Source: http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/107663.aspx

[Who2]

You might have heard rumours about Sunshine but, they were just rumor's, like we were training spies or Pearl drove a Mercedes or the toys were never used, that's what happens when people try to do some good there are always people wanting to pull you down usually the bas*** that do nothing for anybody, I used to say to Kim at ACE animals are easy it's far more difficult raising money for kids.
But all in all we built an Orphanage it still runs mainly thanks to 'Luxor lovers and the rumours probably still continue, that's life.
So Sod them all, as the little 'ba****ds use to say to me "what's dead mean ?
I'd respond 'Well it's the opposite to you being alive and No! you can't have a effin mobile phone"...
Ps: As BM mentions in Luxor it was like the defense of Rorke's Drift against the predators....
Pss: It also goes to explain my total 'vitriol against some aspects of Luxor's society

[carrie]

Unfortunately this happens all too often, not just in Egypt, the UK has had it's share of vulnerable children being sexually and physically abused whilst in the care of the authorities.
I just hope that the children in this home are cared for and given love in the future.

[Dusak]

I only speak of the people that I have met and known personally here that have worked for Sunshine and left because they did not like what they saw and could not do anything to stop it. I will give you an example. Friends that own a property here have a charity shop in the UK. They decided that on this particular year they would give the money raised to Sunshine. I may be wrong in this bit, but I think that it was the same year when the board members all changed to Egyptians. I also think that this was about six years ago. My friend had some kind of position on the general committee, could of been the finance side of things, possibly in relation to overseas donations.

They gave the charity a check for £105,000 so we are not talking peanuts. The following year he and his wife visited the charity to see what had been done with the money. They were told that this was not their business and were literally told to leave. They have never given any more to this charity.

[DJKeefy]

Egypt orphanage abuse trial begins.

The trial of an orphanage manager who was caught on tape violently beating children in his care is scheduled to begin on Wednesday at Omraneya misdemeanour court.

A two-minute video was leaked earlier in August of orphanage manager Osama Othman spanking and violently beating a group of children as punishment for apparently disobeying his orders by turning on the TV and opening the refrigerator.

Police arrested Othman shortly after the video was released, and the children were moved to another orphanage.

A forensics report revealed that some of the children – aged between 3 and 11 – showed signs of abuse that could date back a year. Others have signs of beatings that could be from as recently as two weeks ago.

The wife of the accused orphanage manager, Elham Eid Awad, claimed to the media on Sunday that she filmed Othman beating the children and that the video was shot two months ago with the intention of exposing him.

Her statements were contradictory, however, as she claimed in previous media statements that the video was a year old. Awad is also being investigated.

Source: http://english.ahram.org.eg/News/108337.aspx

[DJKeefy]

Orphanage owner fined, sentenced to prison over beating children.

Omraneya Misdemeanor Court sentenced on Wednesday the defendant accused of beating orphans to two years in prison with labor and fined him LE1,000 for beating the children and another LE1,000 for violating the Child’s Law and forcing them to work inside the association.

Prosecution earlier referred Makkah al-Mokarramah Orphanage owner Ossama Othman to Talbiya Misdemeanor Court over accusations of beating seven of the orphans and endangering their lives.

Prosecution faced the defendant with testimonies of six children, who said that he used to beat them every day for turning the TV on, though Othman denied the charges.

The defendant was arrested in August. Giza Governor Ali Abdel Rahman ordered to dissolve the orphanage board and appoint a temporary board for three months until a new board is elected, after a video showing the manager violently beating the children with a plank of wood, kicking, hitting and insulting them went viral on social media platforms, triggering angry reactions among Internet users.

Source: http://www.egyptindependent.com//news/o ... g-children