A presumed thief was marked “the rat” on his back with a hot iron

With the same technique with which some animals are marked, in Mexico a man was gagged and subjected to being tattooed with the help of a hot iron. The people that appear in the video formed the phrase “Por rata” (the rat), which will remain forever in the skin of the man’s back, presumably a thief.

The moment was captured in a video that circulates through Twitter, Facebook and WhatsApp in Mexico. You can see the man struggling and screaming, but nothing he could do to avoid the pain of hot material on his skin.

“Shut your nose,” the men tell him when the alleged thief complains of pain. In Mexico the word “rat” is used to refer to thieves. It is common to hear that “The Rat” is present in certain places when referring that it is dangerous there.

One version indicates that the events occurred in Ensenada, Baja California, in the north of the country, although the authorities of that entity have not ruled on the facts. The video portrayed the way in which some people do justice by their own hand after being victims of crime. The comments on social networks applaud the act: “I would propose that it better be put in our face, that way we would know who to protect ourselves from. Think about it, it’s not a bad idea”, “I think it’s perfect, that’s good”, a couple of people wrote, although most agreed that the brand should have been on the forehead

However, there are people who do not agree with the acts. “I do not think that system works, after a while it looks like a trophy, with pride, that’s what they think”.

Mexican laws prohibit these actions. Article 17 of the Constitution establishes that “no person shall be able to do justice by himself or exercise violence to claim his right”.

Warning: the following video contains STRONG IMAGES