Romanian President Shown Slapping 10-year-old Boy In Video

A video has emerged showing Traian Basescu, the center-right president of Romania, hitting a 10-year-old boy in the face during a campaign rally in 2004. He was confronted by footage of the incident during an interview on Thursday night. Initially, he didn't deny that the incident happened, instead asserting there must have been a "good reason" for the act.

"I can assure you that I will look at it and give you an explanation. But does the child say anything in the film? Did he say something nasty? ... Perhaps he swore at me."

Since then, however, Basescu has recanted that statement, saying the video had been manipulated. Notably, the boy in question, Bogdan Istrotaiu, now 15, initially agreed that Basescu had indeed hit him in 2004, when he was mayor of Bucharest and running for the presidency for the first time. A day later Istrotaiu retracted the claim, saying he didn't want to be part of the growing controversy.

The run-off election, scheduled for Dec. 6th, is hotly contested. Something like this could swing the election. However, if you watch the video carefully, after the boy is hit, he seems to be smiling. Could it have been a "playful" swat for some reason? Readers, what do you think?

Stranger Slaps Child at Wal-Mart

Let's be honest, you cannot even physically discipline your own child in public nowadays. How about when a stranger does so, as happened with this man in Stone Mountain, GA who slapped someone else's child in a Wal-Mart?

According to the police report, on Monday, Roger Stephens, 61, approached the two-year-old child's mother, Sonya Mathews, and said “if you don’t shut that baby up, I will shut her up for you." A few minutes later, in a different Wal-Mart aisle, the man grabbed the 2-year-old and slapped her across the face four or five times.

Roger Stephens then told Mathews, "See, I told you I would shut her up.” Stephens walked away, but a bystander held him until store security arrived.

The 2-year-old victim sustained only slight redness to her face, according to the report. Unfortunately for all who would love to see it, there was no video surveillance in the area of the incident.

For slapping the child, the man, Stephens, was charged with felony cruelty to children. He had his first court appearance Tuesday. He is being held at the Gwinnett County Detention Center without bond.

Watch a video report on the incident: