A loaded sawn off shot-gun was prodded into the stomach of a Co Clare mother and she was told she would have her head blown off.

The ISPCC has said a recent case of horrific abuse inflicted on a 10-month-old baby should serve as a reminder to people that abuse is still a current issue and not just an historical event.

A teenage mother watched helplessly as her partner slapped, kicked, punched and threw her baby around an apartment as if the 10-month-old was a toy.