Caretaker Violently Assaulted 3.5-Year-Old Child at Kindergarten

A caretaker in Yerevan’s Kindergarten No. 94 has been reported to have violently assaulted a 3.5-year-old child.

The child, who had just started to speak, managed to communicate to his mother in a few words and through gestures how the caretaker had punished him. Days later, after the 28-year-old caretaker raised her hand against the same child again, marks were left on the child’s body. This was reported by 168.am.

In the course of a month, a parent of one of the children present at the kindergarten witnessed the caretaker’s violent behavior for the third time. It is noted that attempts to 'educate' the boy through physical force occurred between February 20 and March 26.

The mother of the assaulted child said that after the first incident, she attempted to have a private conversation to clarify the situation with the caretaker, who, naturally, denied it.

“Initially, I noticed bite marks on my son’s arms and scratches on his fingers, but I brushed it off as just children playing roughly. However, when the marks changed and my son started sharing at home how the caretaker treated him, I became increasingly concerned. I approached her, asking them to be more careful; my child is afraid to go to kindergarten and refuses every morning. His behavior has changed,” the mother recounted.

“The caretaker denied everything, saying it was absurd and attributed everything to the other children in the group. She also refuted claims that she had frightened me and the other kids with a needle, but many children had reported this at home. My son explained several times how she threatened that if we told our mothers, she would prick our fingers with a needle. I have tried to record him on the phone narrating to his grandmother, showing how the caretaker hits him, strikes his head, and throws him to the ground by twisting his arm. Each time, he explains it with different movements. Yet the caretaker just denies all of this…” the mother shared with 168.am.

The media outlet has reported that this troubling incident was initially attempted to be kept within the walls of the institution, but the case has now reached the police.

“Eight days after meeting with the director, the parents were called to the kindergarten again and informed of her decision. The director stated that the caretaker would be placed on a month-long leave to reflect on her mistakes… When she returns from vacation, we will decide what to do next. From her words, we understood that there is also a serious conflict in the relationship between the caretaker and the nurse, and they were sent on leave simultaneously. Of course, it was clear what had actually occurred between them, but days later, the next unexpected turn came when the director was unexpectedly relieved of her position. Now we are dealing with an entirely different leader, caretaker, and nurse,” the parent noted.