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A violent video game in which an abusive dad appears to beat his daughter to death has been condemned.

Detroit: Become Human tells the futuristic story of an android housekeeper, called Kara, who works for a violent single dad called Todd.

In one scene, the character becomes aggressive towards young daughter Alice.

He shouts at her "Alice, daddy's very mad," while brandishing a belt, before he is seen placing her lifeless body on a bed and saying "it's all over now, daddy isn't angry any more".

The terrified girl is at one point heard saying "he’s coming, he’s going to hurt me".

(Image: Sony) (Image: Sony) (Image: Sony) (Image: Sony)

The game - produced by Sony and available for pre-order on Amazon for £46 - has been condemned as "perverse".

Dame Esther Rantzen, who founded Childline, has called on Sony to remove the child abuse scene or withdraw the game from sale.

And Peter Saunders, founder of the National Association of People Abused in Childhood, warned "abusers will get off on this stuff and the other thing".

Set in the future in the US city of Detroit, players of the game have control over cyborg Kara.

She must make choices about how to react in the abusive home.

(Image: Sony) (Image: Sony) (Image: NSPCC/Childline)

It comes to a head in a scene when Todd explodes in rage and blames daughter Alice for the break up of his marriage, telling her: "Maybe you think this is easy, maybe you think it’s my fault your f****** mother took off.

"F****** whore walked out on me for a f****** accountant."

During the apparent child murder scene, players are given different options for how Kara should react.

She can lock herself in a room with Alice to protect her or, more darkly, reach for a gun and kill Todd.

Dame Esther told the Mail on Sunday : "Violence against children is not entertainment. It’s not a game.

"It’s a real nightmare for thousands of children who have to live through these kinds of scenarios.

(Image: Sony) (Image: Sony)

"The makers of this game should be thoroughly ashamed. I think it’s perverse. Who thinks beating a child is entertainment?"

And the NSPCC's Andy Burrows said the trivialisation of child abuse in games is "unacceptable".

Quantic, the firm that developed the game, and Sony have not commented on Dame Esther's remarks, but the game's writer and director, David Cage, previously defended it.

He previously said in an interview the game is "not about domestic abuse" and says it tells a "beautiful story" that will leave players "moved".

Mr Cage also said it is "legitimate" for any book, game or film to "explore any topic such as domestic abuse".

Previous video games have caused alarm at their levels of violence - and have been blamed for a rise in aggressive behaviour among children.

The Grand Theft Auto series has caused outrage with various scenes of sex, murder and torture.