The Police in Thimphu have arrested a man in his early 40s for physically assaulting his eight-year-old stepdaughter while livestreaming the entire incident on TikTok, a short-video sharing application. The man was under the influence of alcohol at the time.
According to the police, around 200 viewers witnessed the incident during the livestream on Tuesday, prompting one viewer to report the abuse to the police. Currently, the child is with her mother and will be receiving counselling.
According to Section 215 of the Child Care and Protection Act of Bhutan 2011, a person shall be guilty of the offence of battering a child if they purposely use physical force or cause the child to be subjected to physical force. The section further states that the offence of battering a child shall be a petty misdemeanour or a misdemeanour if aggravated circumstances are present.
Samten Dolkar
Edited by Sonam Pem
