One of the front-page stories in Wednesday's STAR was that of a man who was accused of choking his frail elderly mother.

The matter was brought up in the Corporate Area Resident Magistrate's Court on Tuesday, where the man denied choking her, but admitted that he shook her. He said he did it because she had said hurtful things to him.

Those who were in attendance were shocked by the allegations.

The presiding magistrate promised to "shake up" the accused man and he is to be sentenced next week.

Stories like this are disturbing because they are representative of a general breakdown in the morals and values that once guided our society. The Bible itself encourages children to respect and honour their parents, but it seems these teachings have fallen on deaf ears.

Cases like these are frequently brought before the court. There are several cases in which children have pleaded guilty to assaulting their parents and then attempt to blame their actions on a loss of temper.

There is no excuse for physically assaulting a parent, especially a frail, elderly woman. The accused will know his fate next week and we can only hope his sentence will send a strong message.