This picture was taken while I was on my way to The Royal Palace in Phnom Penh. I was happily taking pictures of roadside stalls when I saw this disturbing scene. The little girl was being caned by her mother. She was wailing loudly! Her screams were so piercing that it was unbearable for me as it was for her... On impulse (or what I call a photographer's force of habit), I pointed my camera and captured the moment. I wanted to delete it, but somehow I didn't...
The drama and the one following it - her elder sister was dragged by her hair by her grandmother and pinned against the wall and slapped many times across the face - reminded me of the dark days of the Khmer Rouge, when innocent people were terrorised by Pol Pot and his army of like-minded sickos.
I've read and seen domestic violence between husband and wife, but this was the first time I've seen domestic violence involving children and their parents. The little girl and her elder sister did not deserve to be beaten in public or even in the privacy of their own home. I hope this incident has not scarred the girls' lives and future.
No comments:
Post a Comment