[Age of Reason]

Like I said, in a inch square screen on my PC monitor it's kinda hard to see if the mother slapped or punched the kid.

The child should be examined before anyone judges the mother guilty of abuse. If the kid was hit as hard as everyone seems to think, it would show up in a doctor's exam.

[wimpycat]

A doctor's exam will in all probability reveal evidence of long-term abuse.

I think the mother was pissed that they got kicked out of the store and she took it out on the kid. Abusive parents (and abusive spouses) do that.

[KingKongCobra]

Seen the video 20 times. The mother slaps the child about 20 times, yanks her hair, puts her in the car seat, looks around again, balls up her fist, pruduces six blows, pauses 1 second, produces 3 more blows.

Now let's assume the fist is not balled up. What circumstance in your mind justifies 9 "slaps" to the face of a 4 year old child secured in a car seat?