Footage of a father hitting his fifteen year old daughter that was taped back in 2002 and aired Friday as part of a Primetime Live episode about step-families, has led to an investigation by police in upstate New York. ABC did not report the incident to authorities, claiming it was the only act of physical violence out of hundreds of hours of footage. The father and stepmother  both later admitted, however, that they had struck the girl before. Surprisingly, or perhaps not so surprisingly, the girl, who is now eighteen, has come to her father's defense, asking folks to respect their privacy and not to attack him. Nevertheless, Primetime's messageboard is lit up with angry missives from people who caught the episode, some demanding ABC give any money made from advertising to causes promoting child-abuse prevention.

I didn't see the episode, but I would love to hear someone's take on it who actually watched it.