(KGTV) — Facebook told 10News Friday they are aware of a disturbing viral video showing abuse of a child and have removed it from the social media platform.
In a Facebook post Sunday, a person is seen repeatedly slapping a child on the head with both hands throughout the 47-second video. The young child is seen screaming next to a bucket clutching a towel, as the person pummels the child with slaps.
The video of the apparent abuse originated in South Africa, a Facebook spokesperson told 10News. It's unclear when the video took place.
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Before playing the video, users were met with an "uncover video" button and the statement, "This video may show violence against a child or teenager. We haven't removed it from Facebook because it may help rescue the child in question. To learn more about what you can do to help or find support, please visit the Help Center."
In a statement to 10News, the spokesperson said the video has been removed:
We take the safety of our community very seriously. We remove content that depicts child abuse, disable accounts for child sexual exploitation and, in accord with the law, report it to law enforcement or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The video has been removed for breaking our Violence and Graphic Content policy.
The spokesperson said Facebook's Violence and Graphic Content policy regarding warning labels does not extend to child abuse.
Other iterations of the video would be removed as soon as they are made aware of it, the spokesperson added.
