(speaking from experience I have to say that it can be.)
"That was justice." Griffin replied gruffly. "You think a boy of 10 or so could break a rule badly enough to be beaten for several minutes. I would guess the father had been at him for at least 20 minutes. Also if you had looked you would have seen the scars of other such abuses. The boy had more the belt welts on him. The boy has clearly not eaten in at least a day and he was naked. It could not have been a reasonable parental punishment. Also his age plays in my favor. At 10 he will understand the need for heroes identity to be secret."