Iran’s State Welfare Organization, the minister of labor and Kerman’s city administration have reacted to a video showing a man forcing two children to eat the flowers they are trying to sell.
A video circulated on social media shows a man, who directly or indirectly works for the city of Kerman, forcing two flower-selling children to eat the flowers and films the scene.
The Kerman city administration has expressed regret over the incident but has insisted that the perpetrator of the act was not a city employee but worked for a contractor and has been fired from his job.
But the head of Social Emergencies office has said that the man “apparently” was a city employee and has been fired.
The labor and welfare minister has expressed regret and has ordered an investigation.
The State Welfare Organization says it is following up on the case and “demands legal action against the perpetrator”.
This is not the first incident of violence used against children peddling in the streets and other street vendors in Iran.
In June 2018, a welfare official to ISNA that “73 percent of child vendors on the streets” face various forms of physical and verbal abuse.