Belmont father charged with child cruelty for beating son, 4

A 35-year-old Belmont man is expected to appear before a Port of Spain magistrate on Monday, charged with cruelty to his four-year-old son.

The man was arrested and charged on Friday, by WPC Mahabir of the Port-of-Spain Child Protection Unit (CPU), a statement from the police said on Sunday.

It said the charge stemmed from a police report in July, when the boy's mother told officers of the CPU she saw several marks and bruises on her son’s back.

The police said the boy was complaining about pain in the area and he later told her, his father beat him with a belt for tearing a page from a book.

The father was charged with cruelty to a child.

Investigations into the incident were spearheaded by acting Supt Claire Guy-Alleyne.