babyA short video of a baby girl being slapped and violently shaken, reportedly by her father, has gone viral on social media in Saudi Arabia, triggering angry calls for prompt action. The clip was posted by the baby’s mother, who called for assistance to rescue her daughter from the torture being inflicted by the father. “I urge every official and every lawyer to protect my daughter from torture,” the mother tweeted. She said that she was a Syrian national and that the father was a Saudi citizen and that he had custody of their one-month old daughter, implying they were separated. She added that the baby-slapping happened in the area of Makkah, in western Saudi Arabia. The spokesperson for the Ministry of Labour and Social Development, Khalid Abu Al Khail, said that he saw the mother’s plea and asked her to contact him to give him more details about the situation and launch the procedures about the case. “We asked the mother to get in touch with us to check the facts and the ministry will take action,” he said, quoted by Saudi news site Sabq on Wednesday. Online users expressed outrage over the clip and called for prompt action to help the daughter and assist the mother. “This man is worse than a cruel beast,” Khalid, a user, commented. “Those who have no mercy in their hearts should be severely punished and kept away from society.” Saad, another user, said the mother should have enquired about the character of the father before marrying him. “It is unfortunate that some women are ready and willing to marry men without making sure they are morally great and emotionally stable,” he said.