I'm honestly not sure what to do in this situation?

My sister has a fiancee they have 2 kids

A 7 year old who is my sister's child but has a different father.

A 2 year old, these are his parents.

So, for about two years now, the 7 year old has gotten whoopings from his father for being bad. He calls them ass whoopings. I don't know how he hits the kid when he does. The kid tells me he uses a belt. I've seen the mom hit the two year old in the butt with his diaper on with her bare hand.

I never reported it cause I never had any way of getting evidence that it was going on like, indisputable evidence. Still can't really.

It happens a lot less now but it still happens. The mom spanking the two year old I saw like, last week at the latest. The 7 year old was just told by his father that he would get an ass whooping every time the 7 year old cried because boys should not crry.

The only time I usually see the father happy is when he is playing video games.

The relationship with the 7 year old seems to be improving greatly but damage done from the past two years seems to still show in him. He gets violently angry with his brother (2) when the brother accidentally hurts him.

I don't want to get authorities involved, only for them to drop the ball cause there is not enough evidence, and then this ass hole treats the people around him even more like $#%^.

The mom tries to stop the dad when he gets violent toward the 7 year old but it hardly workd half the time.

No one else seems to be willing to do anything about it.

What is the best thing to do? I know I've ###$ up by waiting this long. I've tried talking to him, he says mind my own business. When I told him his kids will end up mentally scarred he said "Cause you're a ###$ up?" months ago. They lie and they will act "good" to ward off suspicion when needed.

Thank you for any input.

Feel free to ask questions/

It depends on which country you are in.

in an ideal world you could get the authorities to intervene, but that means state care which is a lottery and the more I hear, the more I realise it is much worse than we all think, no matter which country.

As he gets older the 7 year old will develop better survival strategies. Right now he is still in that very vulnerable stage. Just watch, like you are doing, not sure you can do much more. In a few years it will work itself out, one way or another.

Has anyone ever reported them ?? I have seen cases in Australia of multiple reports, hospital admissions, highly visible bruising and they still only "counsel", not intervene. And we are supposed to be a advanced affluent country, (we care much more about illegal immigrants than our own poor vulnerable children, but not too many journalists will run a doorstop interview with a pollie about our own "sub class", and their vulnerable children. I will say it is changing though and that change appears to be coming from the US).

Does the mother show the 7 year old any love ??

Does step dad have a decent job?

Do they own a house ??

They are all factors in what will happen.

Thanks for caring enough to post here, and just keep watching. That in itself is a regulator.

I would report them because it can at least let the child know there is someone out there watching out for them. That there is outside help for a future reference. And also to let the parents know they are being watched so they better shape up. It can't hurt.

Quiet raises the other point and has made me think very hard on this. As a moderator that should have been my first answer, but somehow it never is.

Things to consider are the country you are in and how protective services operate in that country.

In certain circumstances that report and follow up may be the wake up call the step father needs. It also goes on the record so if anything else happens it strengthens the case against him.

Now why I don't go for that as my first answer is that if the person is abusing sadistically then they will just hide it more and may actually make it worse for the child by taking out their embarrassment at being publicly shamed by worse treatment. My brother and I went to great lengths lying and covering up our marks so she would not be questioned. We knew full well that next time she would not be so careless and it would be much worse.
In a situation like that the abuser may make it harder for you to maintain contact.


Now if he just ignorant of what he is doing then maybe intervention is exactly what is needed.

It is the wisdom of Solomon thing.

I wish you luck.