Lunar and Highett

There are many interesting things that happen at festivals; you can meet people, spend lots of money on items that you really don't need and taste interesting home-made food served on tissue paper. But you can also encounter things which you weren't at all prepared for.

Today as I was roaming around the large Springvale carpark which was turned into a mini carnival with a stage that showcasted strange and eccentric talent, I pass a man who started screaming at a little kid. I turned around and in that unexpected moment, he shoved the little boy to the ground, then started kicking him. This was in the middle of a large walkway where people were going to and fro. He didn't stop there either; he picked the child up, who was teary and hurt, and slammed him against the rubbishbin and started screaming at him, occasionally whacking him on the head.

I wondered why no one was intervening. There were some shocked onlookers...

His eyes were completely bloodshot and wasn't sure whether he was drunk or not...

But I had to do something...

And it was in that doing something that I felt a strong urge to bring up a particular topic of which I had strongly opposed: the power of a parent. It's not that I'm being disrespectful in saying so; It's actually good for the parent to have some power as they are responsible for our well-being and as I have experienced, know better. But it's when the parents abuse that power that it is quick saddening.

I went up to the man and told him that he should stop, and he started screaming to me in a language that I had no understanding of... And the woman that was standing close by him came up to me, and told me to go away and mind my own business. The man started looking at me venomously ushering me away, and I had no choice but to back off.

A woman informed me that she was contacting someone to help, so I had to let to go...

The man started pacing by the rubbishbin as if trying to fend people from getting in his way...

Article 19: Children must be protected from “… injury or abuse … including sexual abuse, while in the care of parents … or any other person…"


The horrid thing about this ordeal is that, in the most case, nothing will happen, as it will be argued that being in the parents care is of the child's best interest and that parents are entitled to discipline :(

oh woe!

but there is something that we could do about this, maybe not this particular case, but speaking out against it will make a difference.

There's one place that you can look at to obtain more information of what you can do, and of the issues...

http://www.unicef.org/crc/