Human rights groups have called for an immediate investigation into the brutal beating of a boy by Papua New Guinea police that was caught on film.

A video of the assault was filmed and this week shared widely on social media, showing armed officers hitting the naked 15-year-old boy with sticks, kicking him in the head and groin, and dragging him along rocks.

Police commissioner Gari Baki said he had ordered a full investigation.

“Police brutality continues to be disregarded by a few officers,” he said.

Elaine Pearson, Australian director at Human Rights Watch, said that was just the first step.

“Authorities should ensure that it is independent and transparent, and that police found responsible are prosecuted,” she said.

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT

This video of two policemen beating a teen was posted on Facebook. I am calling on the Minister, Jelta Wong, to have those involved punished. pic.twitter.com/FKpCrgMtZ3 — Scott Waide🌴🌴 (@Scott_Waide) August 7, 2018

“This is not just a few bad apples. Police abuse in Papua New Guinea is sadly widespread, and it will only end when abusive officers are held to account for their crimes.”

On Thursday PNG police said the officers had been suspended. They were from the Port Moresby based airborne tactical unit, and were in Kimbe, West New Britain province, to assist with recent upsurges in crime, it said.

Province commander, John Midi, said he was not aware of the incident until he saw it on social media, and said the boy had allegedly attempted to rob a young woman prior to the police assault.

The matter had been referred to the internal affairs unit, he said.

The director of police internal affairs, Robert Ali, said police management had failed to implement the commissioner’s declared “year of discipline” since 2017, covering human rights and police functions, which demonstrated their own issues with personnel and discipline.

Australia’s foreign minister, Julie Bishop, said she would speak to her PNG counterpart about the incident, which showed the need for Australia’s continuing presence in the country and assistance of the PNG police force and government.

PNG police minister Jelta Wong said he had tasked the police commissioner Gari Baki with taking “appropriate action against the perpetrators”.

“Whether they were in full uniform or not they abused the privilege and honour of wearing a RPNGC uniform and the government’s one strike policy still stands.”

PNG police officers have been accused of, or found to engage in, acts of brutality in the past, including a 2014 incident also caught on film when officers used police dogs on an unarmed man.