This shocking image shows a schoolboy with his hands tied, bound to a wooden pole, and covered in honey to attract bees allegedly as punishment by his father who is now under arrest.
The schoolboy, 7, was reportedly punished by his father, 34, after a neighbour accused him of theft in the Egyptian governorate of Qalyubia on 25th May.
According to the news site Al Arabiya, the incident happened at a village in the Egyptian region of Shebin El Qanater and the boy has been identified as Muhammad D. (https://bit.ly/3fVuIXW)
The picture shows how the father, name not disclosed, allegedly bound his young son to a pole with his hands tied behind him before covering the boy with honey.
The 34-year-old dad then reportedly placed his son on the roof of their house where the boy attracted swarms of mosquitoes and bees due to the sticky honey across his body.
There were no reports as to how long the boy was left on the roof.
Local media said the boy’s mum, who was not named but is reported to be 29 years old, was horrified when she saw her son’s punishment and decided to seek help from a child rescue group.
She also took pictures of the brutal scene with her phone, and the images are now being used as evidence against the father.
After the mum’s plea for help, prosecutors from Qalyubia were contacted and opened an investigation.
Muhammad was found in a “deplorable” state by the authorities due to the alleged punishment. He was later checked by medical experts who documented the extent of the injuries suffered. There have been no further reports on the boy’s status.
The 29-year-old mother, who is now staying in a different village, also claimed the man would repeatedly beat her and look for new ways to torture their child, even depriving him of food and water for long periods of time, according to Al Arabiya.
The suspect has been arrested by the authorities but it is unclear if he has been formally charged yet.
The investigation is ongoing.
T4 / Newsflash
