VROU VAS FOR ASSAULT - Woman, 61, charged after beating of Macassar boy with disabilities

 THE woman seen in a deeply disturbing video showing the assault of a boy with physical and intellectual disabilities in Macassar has now been charged with assault.

Weekend Argus reported last week on the viral footage, which sparked national outrage after it showed the boy being smacked in the face by a man inside a residential property. The publication can now confirm that the woman, aged 60, who is heard encouraging the man to throw the boy out, has since been arrested and charged.

The woman, aged 60, who is heard encouraging the man to throw the boy out, has since been arrested and charged.

Police spokesperson Wesley Twigg said the woman was warned to appear in court on 27 January 2026.

While public attention has largely focused on the accused, community activists also raised serious concerns about the circumstances surrounding the boy’s care and the alleged failure of his mother to protect him and his two younger siblings.

A community activist in Macassar, who is familiar with the family and requested anonymity, told the Weekend Argus that she believes the boy’s mother should also be investigated for child neglect.

She added: “The boy is well known in the area, almal ken hom. 

“He is physically and mentally disabled. He has one shorter leg, walks on his toes, cannot speak, and is often seen pushing a tyre wherever he goes.”

According to the activist, the elderly woman seen recording the video had previously allowed the boy onto her property, but tensions escalated when his behaviour became increasingly aggressive, particularly on days when he allegedly did not receive his medication.

“He would vandalise her home, and this was raised with his mother over and over again, but nothing was done

“On the day of the incident… the boy entered the house and began damaging her belongings. When she tried to stop him, he became aggressive, and her brother rushed in after hearing the commotion.

“I am not saying hitting him is right it absolutely is not,” she said. “But where was the mother? When community members went looking for her on payday, she was nowhere to be found and only returned later that night.”

The activist said she would continue to pursue accountability for what she described as prolonged neglect affecting all three children.

The Department of Social Development last week confirmed all three of the children had been placed in temporary alternative safe care.