Forensics spokesman Hisham Abdel-Hamid confirmed on Tuesday that the children of a Giza orphanage shown being beaten by the manager in an online video have in fact shown signs of violent abuse, Al-Ahram's Arabic news website reported.

Some of the children – aged between 3 and 11 – show signs of abuse that could date back a year, when the circulated video was filmed. Others have signs of beatings that could be from as recently as two weeks ago.

The man allegedly beating the children in the video, Osama Mohamed Othman, manager of Makka Al-Mokarama orphanage in the Haram district of Giza, was arrested by police on Monday.

The video, leaked online on Sunday, immediately caused uproar among social media users, who demanded authorities launch an investigation and punish Othman.

Police investigations revealed that the children had been beaten with what appears to be a solid body, most likely a stick, said Abdel-Hamid, adding that two children suffered older wounds from the time the video was taken.

The wife of the accused orphanage manager, Elham Eid Awad, claimed to the media on Sunday that she was the one who filmed Othman beating the children and that the video was shot two months ago with the intention of exposing him.

Her statements were contradictory, however, as she claimed in previous media statements that the video is a year old. Awad is also being investigated.

The leaked video shows a man, allegedly Othman, spanking and violently beating a group of children as punishment for apparently disobeying his orders and turning on the TV and opening the refrigerator without his permission.

Shortly after the video was uploaded, Social Solidarity Minister Ghada Wali ordered for the children to be transferred to another orphanage until investigations are completed.

Meanwhile, Giza Governor Ali Abdel-Rahman has issued orders to dissolve the board of the orphanage following the reports of child abuse.

Abdel-Rahman assigned a temporary committee to manage the orphanage for three months and assigned another committee to prepare a report about the violations committed by the orphanage manager and owner.