Woman in child abuse video undergoes psych tests

MANILA, Philippines - A woman caught on video beating her five-year-old daughter was brought to the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in Manila yesterday afternoon to undergo psychiatric evaluation.

The Caloocan City government’s social welfare and development (CSWD) office took custody of the child on Wednesday after a closed-circuit television video of the mother pulling her daughter by the hair and beating her in front of a store went viral on the Internet.

Caloocan Mayor Oscar Malapitan said the city’s legal office may file child abuse charges against the mother, who is a resident of Manila, depending on the result of the psychiatric evaluation.

She said her mother usually beats her up as a form of discipline, but admitted that she does not want to see her mother go to jail.

The mother refused to talk to reporters but assured Malapitan that she will not hurt her daughter again.

A source inside the city hall said mother and daughter cried and embraced each other when they met in the CSWD office yesterday morning.

“We cannot take away the right of the mother to visit her child while the investigation is ongoing. Only the court can decide on that matter,” a CSWD officer said.