A video has shown the shocking moment a raging woman grabbed her baby boy around the neck before appearing to use him to batter a man in the street.
The sickening scene was captured on camera and came after the out-of-control woman had already spat in her victim's face.
It's not known what sparked the bizarre bust-up - which took place in front of dozens of people in the middle of a busy shopping street.
The short but shocking clip opens with a woman - who looks in her 30s - spitting at a man as he walks past her on the pavement.
One of her friends then casually hands her the toddler and without a second's hesitation she flips the baby around and appears to use him as a weapon to attack her target.
People can be heard screaming in the background as she swings the young boy over her head and lunges towards the man.
After dodging her attack, the man then swings a right hook which catches the woman on the side of her head.
He is then dragged away by a friend as the ranting woman - still clutching onto the boy - pursues him down the street.
It's not clear where the clip was filmed but it was uploaded to LiveLeak on Sunday and has already racked up thousands of views.
Many claim the video - which has not been verified - is shot in France while others believe it is filmed in Italy.
One online commentator wrote: "I love how the lady just hands her the kid like 'here, take your weapon!'"
Another added: "It was strange how they looked at each other and seemed to agree without speaking that the perfect weapon for this assault is a small child."
Watch the video below: