Horrified

Yesterday I witnessed something that shook me to my core, I am still reeling from this experience and it may sound corny but I think it changed my life a little.

Yesterday we spent the day at my aunts house,there was 15 of us total all crammed into one little air conditioned room. My 6 year old cousin has a reputation for being annoying and a pest, he likes to defy his mother and be a nuisance in general, but yesterday he was actually being very good. He was going from one point to another when he was knocked over by his brother pushing out his chair to get up, this resulted in him falling and knocking over a table. Immediately everyone was getting mad at him and he was apologetic but because no one (other than me) witnessed him being knocked over, they all thought that he did it on purpose so they started getting mad at him and did not give him a chance to explain himself. Josue is 6 so he started getting weepy and sad that everyone was being mad and not giving him a chance to speak, he refused to go to his room because he wanted to explain that it was not his fault that he knocked over the table, but no one would hear it and all they would do is yell at him and try to drag him off into his room. This went on for about 5 min unit his grandmother came out with a plastic stick and started beating the crap out of him, even when he was screaming on the floor in pain not even able to get up and go to his room like they asked because she was relentlessly wailing on him with this stick.
His screams will haunt me for a long time to come, it was one of those moments where my stomach just dropped in utter horror and disgust, the worst part is that I was the only one who reacted to this in any way. While he was on the ground screaming, I was yelling (in English because my brain was in shock) for them to stop it. It was one of those moments where after it had stopped, Josue was on the ground sobbing, I was almost in tears and everyone was just staring at me. My reaction totally surprised them, it was like for them this was normal and it didn't matter what they were mercilessly beating a child who was only 6 years old.
Josue went to his room sobbing and scared, I got the chance to explain to my family that I had never seen something like that and that it has scared me and disgusted me. It was my host sister who took me aside and thanked me for saying something that really sent me for a loop, but at the same time made me feel better. She said that because it was her relatives who where "disciplining" their child, she was out of line to say anything but the fact that I finally did meant alot to her.
I dont think I will ever be able to look at my great Aunt the same way again, I have lost all respect for her, the fact that she could do that to her own grandson and who did nothing wrong...it disgusts me. When I told her and everyone else that Josue was knocked over and that it actually wasnt his fault that  he knocked the table over,  my aunt didnt do anything, she just blew it off saying that he probably deserved it anyway, his mother and my family became a little more repent-full at this point too but the fact that this is a norm for them is something that I will never be able to understand.

Those screams keep replaying over in my head and every time it makes my stomach drop, It makes me proud to know that I stuck up for Josue but it disgusted me that I was the only one.