Caregiver abuses child at a crèche in Carletonville, Gauteng.
- Women and Men Against Child Abuse called for a 10-year sentence for the former employee of a Carletonville crèche who was convicted of assaulting children.
- The former employee was captured on video last year allegedly assaulting minors.
- The crèche was closed after it was found to be operating with an expired licence.
Non-profit child protection organisation, Women and Men Against Child Abuse, has called for a 10-year sentence for the former employee who was convicted of the assault of children at Ninnies Neuron’s Nursery School in Carletonville.
According to the National Prosecuting Authority’s (NPA) North Gauteng spokesperson, Lumka Mahanjana, the 40-year-old former employee was convicted of two counts of common assault and one count of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm.
The NPA confirmed to News24 that sentencing in the matter would proceed on Thursday in the Oberholzer Magistrate’s Court.
“It has taken a year of support by Women and Men Against Child Abuse to the mothers, as well as pressure by the organisation to the National Prosecuting Authority and [police] to reach this point,” advocacy manager Ngaa Murombedzi said in a statement on Wednesday.
“There is no reasonable mitigation in our opinion that can warrant deviating from the minimum prescribed sentence of 10 years,” she added.
The former employee was arrested in March last year after she was caught on video assaulting minors.
News24 earlier reported that in one of the videos, the former employee could be seen slapping a toddler repeatedly.
READ | Carletonville ‘horror’ creche: Alleged abuser back in court in May after arrest last week
In another video, a young girl was forced to clean up after having vomited. She could be seen smacking the child on the buttocks.
In a third video, the former employee slapped a toddler who appeared to refuse to sleep, News24 reported.
The motive for the attacks was unknown.
The crèche was closed after it was found to be operating with an expired licence. It only had a 2016 certificate at the time of the discovery, News24 also reported.
Did you know you can comment on this article? Subscribe to News24 and add your voice to the conversation.
