Mosul: Grandmother and uncle arrested after child abuse footage circulates online

MOSUL, Iraq — Authorities in Mosul have arrested a grandmother and an uncle of two children after footage circulated on social media showing the siblings living in what investigators described as inhumane conditions inside a family home. A Nineveh police source said an initial inquiry found signs of physical abuse, with the videos showing bruises on the children's bodies and scenes in which their hands were tied to their arms. The children were referred to medical commissions, which confirmed the presence of marks consistent with physical violence, according to the source. Statements from the suspects were recorded before judicial authorities in line with legal procedure. An investigating judge ordered the grandmother and uncle held for six days as the case proceeds, the source added. The decision was issued to allow further investigation and the opening of legal proceedings against those responsible. No further details were immediately available.