Video of Mom 'Punishing' Her Son Goes Viral & Gets Her Arrested

Video of Mom 'Punishing' Her Son Goes Viral & Gets Her Arrested

by Jenny Erikson

There are ways for parents to keep their kids safe and out of trouble, but beating the crap out of them, videotaping it, and then posting it to Facebook is not one of them. A mom in Flint, Michigan was worried about her 11-year-old son joining a gang, so she allegedly decided to show him what it was like by whipping him on the butt with a belt and smacking his face.

Demitria Latrion Powell, 28, was arraigned for third-degree child abuse on Tuesday, along with two others that participated in the beating, Uteas Michelle Taylor, 42, and Stefon Tirrell Felton, 40. Cops say that several other people were in the room, including a baby. The boy and the infant are now in protective custody.

The disturbing six-minute video clip was uploaded to the boy's Facebook page and shared over a thousand times before officials took it down. In it, he is beaten by the two women, who warn him not to be a "thug" and to stay away from gangs. He clutches onto a chair as Powell looks to the camera and says, "Watch this ass whipping this gangster is going to get."

In what universe is this OK? These adults obviously think it's not only acceptable parental behavior, but commendable -- why else would they post it on Facebook?

This is far beyond an acceptable level of physical discipline. We can debate the merits of spanking or not spanking all day long, but this isn't spanking. The kid got whipped with a belt more than 50 times. His mother savagely mocked him. He was slapped in the face. How that's supposed to keep him out of a gang is beyond me. Seems like it might just make him long for a place where he belongs.

As sick as the video posting was, I'm glad it went up. Several people contacted the Flint police after viewing it, which led to the arrests. If they hadn't posted it, who knows what else those kids might have had to endure?

Why do you think they posted the video on Facebook?

[Sexymom22]

I saw that video, and I was appalled by it. The hypocricy of it was just ridiculous, listening to the guy behind the camera talking about how he is "wanted" and saying other completly inappropirate things. I was thinking no wonder the kid may be acting out, look what he is being raised by.

[JleeB]

If only you knew the kind of gangs and violence in flint. It's sad she went to that extreme to "save" him but honesty gang there are crazy. There's a reason they almost always rank first in worst city in the country. They kill people for fun and do a lot worse than a belt whooping to their members.

I feel bad for him and I hope the get him out of flint and I also hope he chooses not to join a gang.

[Sexymom22]

 Supposedly it was because of his grades, and he was acting like a "gangster."

Quoting MelanieJK:

I've never heard of anyone spanking as a preventative/anticipatory measure.       The kid didn't even do anything wrong did he?      I haven't even heard of old timers who took their kids out to the woodshed making it a group thing and celebrating it.    This is sad.   

 

[almondpigeon]

This. I know plenty of people who would celebrare this woman and give her a high 5.

Not me....but plenty of people would see nothing wrong with it.

Quoting Anonymous:

It's just a good old fashioned ass whooping! Just a good parent disciplining her troubled child (before the meddling goverment stepped in and took her God given rights away). And it obviously IS considered commendable in many homes and communities, which is why she had no concerns about posting it to Facebook. 

By the way, I don't really believe it's okay. But clearly some people DO believe this kind of thing is what a responsible, loving parent needs to do every now and then to keep their children in line. They DO NOT believe it is abuse and will angrily defend their right to raise and discipline their child as they see fit. "Acceptable levels of physical discipline" is a subjective term when it happens inside a private house. 

[bleumonster]

They should be in jail. How is that treatment supposed to keep him out of a gang?

[MelanieJK]

Plenty isn't a number and has no context and you should let those plenty speak for themselves.

Quoting almondpigeon: This. I know plenty of people who would celebrare this woman and give her a high 5. Not me....but plenty of people would see nothing wrong with it.

Quoting Anonymous:

It's just a good old fashioned ass whooping! Just a good parent disciplining her troubled child (before the meddling goverment stepped in and took her God given rights away). And it obviously IS considered commendable in many homes and communities, which is why she had no concerns about posting it to Facebook. 

By the way, I don't really believe it's okay. But clearly some people DO believe this kind of thing is what a responsible, loving parent needs to do every now and then to keep their children in line. They DO NOT believe it is abuse and will angrily defend their right to raise and discipline their child as they see fit. "Acceptable levels of physical discipline" is a subjective term when it happens inside a private house. 

 

[almondpigeon]

Well, alrighty then.

Quoting MelanieJK:

Plenty isn't a number and has no context and you should let those plenty speak for themselves.

Quoting almondpigeon: This. I know plenty of people who would celebrare this woman and give her a high 5. Not me....but plenty of people would see nothing wrong with it.

Quoting Anonymous:

It's just a good old fashioned ass whooping! Just a good parent disciplining her troubled child (before the meddling goverment stepped in and took her God given rights away). And it obviously IS considered commendable in many homes and communities, which is why she had no concerns about posting it to Facebook. 

By the way, I don't really believe it's okay. But clearly some people DO believe this kind of thing is what a responsible, loving parent needs to do every now and then to keep their children in line. They DO NOT believe it is abuse and will angrily defend their right to raise and discipline their child as they see fit. "Acceptable levels of physical discipline" is a subjective term when it happens inside a private house. 

 

[Anonymous 3]

Because they are ghetto as hell and thought what they were doing was right.

[Clubpenguin]

They humiliated him first and talked to him about it. Like they really thought they were parenting the child.so happy the were all arrested.

[Anonymous 4]

Brings back old memories. This is the exact reason I tried my best to stay out of trouble.