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The Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Protection, has condemned the brutal assault of a toddler in a video gone viral on social media.

A statement issued by the Public Affairs Unit of the Gender Ministry in Accra, said the one minute, nineteen seconds video portrayed a man severely molesting and beating a toddler under a tree.

It said: “The Ministry on behalf of Government strongly condemns this cruel, inhumane and barbaric act meted out to the child.”

The statement said the act, portrayed in the video was against the Children's Act 1998 as well as the Criminal code of Ghana, which explicitly states that, “A person shall not subject a child to torture or any other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment including a cultural practice which dehumanizes or is injurious to the physical and mental well-being of a child.”

It stated that the act was a clear violation of the law which was punishable.

“We commend the Ghana Police Service and Child Rights International (CR) for launching a manhunt for the suspect in the matter and also staking a reward claim to any individual who will be able to provide information that leads to the arrest of the individual and rescue the child,” the statement said.

The Ministry, therefore, appealed to the public to support the Police with any information relevant to the matter and the arrest of the man.

“We finally urge citizens to be vigilant and continue to report individuals who engage in this unlawful act,” it said.

The statement advised parents and guardians to correct their children with love and care when they made mistakes but not in a violent manner.

“The General Public can reach the Ministry's Helpline of Hope Call Centre on its toll-free number on 0800-800-800 or O800-900-900 for complaints and enquiries. Also, issues of sexual and gender-based violence can be reported to the Domestic Violence Call Centre Via toll-free number 0800-111-222,” it said.