The shocking video: Brazilian nursery staff caught on CCTV abusing children
Brazilian nursery workers are arrested after being captured on film violently abusing children – including slapping and punching toddlers around the head
Two Brazilian nursery workers have been arrested and charged with suspected child abuse after footage emerged showing shocking levels of mistreatment of infants.
The women, named as Rita de Cássia Fogaça and Jacira Nunes, are alleged to have physically assaulted and aggressively manhandled toddlers at the Municipal Infant Jesus day centre in Itatinga, south east Brazil.
They are also accused of encouraging older children to ‘sexually’ abuse younger ones.
Distressing scenes show infants, aged between two and four years old, being slapped around the head, having their hair pulled and being punched.
Mattresses being thrown at them by the suspects, and a little girl being grabbed and forcibly kissed by an older boy as the creche workers look on.
The footage, leaked on social networks last week, immediately caused uproar as outraged parents rushed to withdraw their children from the nursery and accused the local authority of putting their children at risk.
As part of their investigations, detectives have been analysing a bulk of recordings dating back over the last few months to discover how long the violence has been happening.
According to some parents the abuse may have be going on for at least two months.
One distraught mother who declined to be named said: ‘I blame myself for not being alert to the dangers.
‘I noticed my daughter’s behaviour changed about a couple months ago, she began to misbehave a lot more, especially when I told her off.
‘She said something about being beaten by one of the workers but it seemed so hard to believe because the women came across as kind and loving and I thought my child was making it up.
‘I can’t forgive myself now for not listening and for not believing my child when she appealed to me for help.’
Dozens of shocked parents said they could not watch the scenes as it ‘hurt too much’ to look at the unchecked cruelty.
They reported that many children have been traumatised by the ‘appalling treatment’.
Joao Moraes de Oliveira, a former education director revealed an inquiry into suspected child abuse by the accused was mounted last year but came to nothing due to lack of evidence.
It was after this that cameras were installed in the creche. The facility serves around 70 infants.
Clips show a child being hit repeatedly by one of the suspects. Other scenes capture the day care worker throwing mattresses at the toddlers, just missing them and pulling a child’s hair.
https://youtu.be/Ygob29ieBzs
The sequence goes on to reveal disturbing images of an apparently older boy forcefully grabbing and kissing a younger girl several times, while the two-accused watch.
Even though the little girl tries to push the boy away the adult, who the child appears to have run to for help, seems unconcerned by the abuse as the boy returns to repeat his actions several times.
Both women, remanded in custody, have denied any wrong doing.
They are due to answer the allegations later this month as cops continue to gather more evidence and take statements from parents and question the children involved.
Social services have stepped in and are providing psychological counselling for the traumatised youngsters.
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