Story By:  Gheorghi Caraseni, Sub Editor:  Joseph Golder,  Agency: Central European News

WARNING: DISTRESSING CONTENT

CEN/@plohie_novosti_18

This is the moment a cruel stepfather repeatedly beats up his five-year-old stepson and makes him do squats with the poor lad later found to be missing a tooth.

The incident was reportedly filmed by the child’s aunt, who later said that she was too scared to interfere, in the western Russian capital Moscow.

In the footage, the stepfather is seen making the boy do squat thrusts while occasionally stopping to hit his face and yank him around by his arms, reportedly because the young boy would not go to bed.

Local media identified the man as 38-year-old Murat Shkhanukov and said that the boy’s mother was not home when the incident took place.

Reports stated that he treated the youngster in a similar way once before and his wife made him promise that he would not do it again.

CEN/@plohie_novosti_18

The mother’s 28-year-old sister, who was in the flat at the time, said: “I was too scared to interfere as he was so angry. He beat him, kept him hungry all day and then made him do squat thrusts.

“He then made the boy eat the food he threw in the bin earlier. He is not a man, he is an animal.”

According to local media, doctors checked the boy after the filmed incident and said that he had lost one tooth while two others were badly damaged.

Medics also reportedly found heavy bruising and swelling on the boy’s head.

Meanwhile, the stepfather was arrested and later released as the investigation continues.

As the suspect remains free, the mother decided to release the footage on social media to attract public attention.

The investigation is ongoing.

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