Three staff charged after abuse at Israeli childcare centre
According to the indictment, 17 young children fell victim to hundreds of alleged abuses in Ariel.
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Israel’s State Prosecutor’s Office on Sunday charged three employees of a private childcare centre in Ariel. They are accused of jointly committing more than 400 acts of abuse against 17 babies and toddlers.
The indictment was filed at the district court in Lod. It concerns the centre’s director and two carers. The three are accused, among other things, of abusing minors or dependent persons by individuals responsible for their care. They have not publicly denied the allegations in the sources consulted for this article; their guilt has not been legally established.
According to the State Prosecutor’s Office, the alleged offences took place at a private childcare centre in Ariel, an Israeli settlement in the West Bank. The children were aged between six months and three years, according to the indictment. Prosecutors are asking the court to keep the three suspects in custody during the remainder of the proceedings.
The indictment describes a pattern of prolonged violence and degrading punishments. The Jerusalem Post reports that the three employees allegedly restrained children, treated them harshly and locked them up without supervision. In line with its editorial code, De Vector omits the most incriminating and graphic details; these remain allegations in an indictment, not proven facts.
The case first came to light earlier this week after Israeli police said that a special investigation team had collected camera footage and other evidence. On 4 November, police said that a prosecutor’s statement had been filed against the three main suspects, indicating an intention to bring charges. Their pre-trial detention was then extended until 8 November, the day the indictment was reported.
Police had previously spoken of hundreds of alleged incidents. The new indictment gives these a legal framework and names 17 children as involved. It is unclear when the substantive hearing in the case will begin. It also remains unclear what supervisory measures the centre had previously undergone and what consequences the case will have for Israeli childcare regulations.
The main new development, therefore, is not a new suspicion, but the State Prosecutor’s Office’s formal step of bringing the case before a court. The court must still examine the allegations. Until a verdict is reached, all three suspects are presumed innocent.
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The core facts have been confirmed by current reporting on the indictment and by the earlier police statement about the investigation. The text attributes all allegations to the indictment and safeguards the presumption of innocence.
- confirmed Israel’s State Prosecutor’s Office charged three employees on 8 November. — The Jerusalem Post reports that the indictment was filed at the district court in Lod. source
- confirmed The indictment concerns more than 400 alleged incidents involving 17 young children. — This is stated in current reporting on the indictment. source
- confirmed The suspects worked at a private childcare centre in Ariel. — The location and type of childcare centre are mentioned in the description of the indictment. source
- confirmed Police said on 4 November that prosecution was being prepared and that detention had been extended until 8 November. — This is stated in the police statement of 4 November. source
- confirmed The guilt of the three suspects has not yet been established. — This follows from the legal status of an indictment; the source reports no conviction. source
Editor's note
It is certain that Israel’s State Prosecutor’s Office charged three employees on 8 November and that the indictment concerns 17 children and more than 400 alleged incidents. The contents of the indictment come from reporting by The Jerusalem Post; the earlier police statement confirms the investigation and the planned prosecution. The allegations are not equivalent to a conviction.Sources
- Daycare director, two caregivers indicted over 400 alleged abuse incidents in Ariel — The Jerusalem Post
- פרשת חשד להתעללות בפעוטות במעון באריאל - הוגשה הצהרת תובע נגד המנהלת ושתי מטפלות — Israëlische politie
More on this in Dutch media
- de Volkskrant — „israël ariel”
- RTL Nieuws — „israël ariel”
- NOS — „israël ariel”