KOTA KINABALU: A caregiver was caught on CCTV allegedly hitting a four-year-old boy at a childcare centre in Jalan Kampung Seronok Nosoob, Penampang recently.
The footage, which has gone viral, showed the child being kicked, slapped and hit with blunt objects repeatedly while eating.
The child's father, who declined to be named, said it was heart-wrenching to watch his son being kicked, slapped and hit multiple times.
"I cannot bear to watch the CCTV footage of my son being kicked and slapped. No parent would want to see their child being treated that way.
"What's even more hurtful was it happened while he was eating," he said, adding that it was not the first time his child was abused.
He said the first incident occurred two weeks ago when his wife noticed bruises on their child's hand after picking him up from the centre.
"At first, my child claimed that the teacher (caregiver) had hit him, but later changed his story to say that his friends did it.
"However, a week later, my wife noticed another bruise on his chest before asking the centre.
"The centre said it was normal, possibly due to a fight with other children."
The man said he and his wife accepted the explanation and continued sending their child to the centre until he started complaining of a headache.
"Yesterday, when we picked up our child from the centre, my wife noticed a lump on his head and rubbed it.
"She was shocked to discover an injury on my child's head.
"I immediately questioned the centre but they had no explanation for it," he said.
He than insisted on viewing the centre's CCTV footage and expressed disappointment that the centre did not take their previous complaint seriously.
"We have filed a police report at Tanjung Aru police station. This cannot be allowed to continue to prevent more children from suffering the same fate.
"My wife is also traumatised by this incident, especially since she is pregnant with our second child. We expect the authorities to take appropriate action against the centre," he said.
He added that their child is currently undergoing treatment at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (HQE) to determine the extent of injuries suffered.