Lebanese daycare shut down after video of staff abusing toddlers spark outrage

Agencies | Beirut

The Daily Tribune – www.newsofbahrain.com

A shocking video filmed by an employee at a Mount Lebanon nursery, which shows a female member of staff physically abusing infants, sparked outrage when it circulated on social media on Monday night and has highlighted growing concerns about an increase in violence against women and children.

Authorities reacted by closing off the Gardereve nursery in the Jdeideh district and detaining its 44-year-old boss and a 38-year-old staffer. The video shows a lady beating a baby for refusing to eat. She is seen forcing food into the child's mouth and smacking his face in an attempt to get him to swallow it.

The infant is sobbing and spitting out the food, and she repeats the act in a more aggressive manner. She is also seen beating another child and calling them "animals," using obscenities.

The person who recorded the clips was in charge of the children's cleanliness and forwarded the footage to the father of one of them. The children involved are all under the age of three. The father gathered the other parents to his home and showed them the tapes, after which they reported the incident to the authorities.

According to the mother of an 11-month-old infant girl, her daughter "experiences hysterical situations during her sleep and suddenly cries." I had no idea why until today when it was disclosed."

Another mother stated that her kid "lost his ability to speak and express himself after joining the nursery." The footage revealed that he was exposed to physical and psychological abuse by the nursery's owner, who referred to him as 'deaf.'

On Tuesday, the Ministry of Health, which is in charge of nurseries, convened an emergency meeting of the Child Protection Committee. Health Minister Firas Abiad stated that his ministry "will follow up" on the problem, adding, "We are in contact with the families of the abused children and we seek to prevent the recurrence of this bad treatment and absence of responsibility and trustworthiness."

Some users on social media criticised the decision not to release the identities of those accused of the assault.

In Lebanon, there is rising concern over recent rises in the frequency of crimes including physical and psychological domestic abuse, as well as child mistreatment, exploitation, and sexual assault. It comes after four years of the country being stuck in a terrible financial crisis.