The Lod District Court on Monday convicted a Netanya-based caregiver of multiple counts of abuse and assault against 12 toddlers between the ages of seven months and 18 months.
The indictment submitted to the court detailed how Shelly Sheinkar, a caregiver at the “Ha’gan Ha’shakuf” kindergarten in Netanya, would regularly physically abuse the toddlers under her care.
Across some 60 incidents, the convicted caregiver “shoved the toddlers, hit them, slapped them, pulled on their hair, and ignored their crying,” read a statement issued by the prosecution in the case.
“In other cases, she would kick their feet and aggressively pinch their faces,” the statement continued, “... she would occasionally pick toddlers up by grabbing their arm and toss them aggressively, even when they slept. In other cases, she would spray cleaning products toward the toddlers.”
Sheinkar’s actions were caught on the kindergarten’s security cameras. She pleaded guilty to most of the charges against her.
According to prosecutor Ofir Fahima, the defendant carried out her actions “in a cruel and systematic way, while humiliating the toddlers and abusing her authority against them.”
While Sheinkar was acquitted of some of the charges brought against her, the verdict noted that the acquittals were not because she did not commit the acts attributed to her but rather for purely legal reasons, adding that these offenses were subsumed within the offense of abuse.
Six caregivers arrested in the West Bank
Additionally, the Israel Police said earlier on Monday that six West Bank caregivers were arrested and a kindergarten director was detained on suspicion of abusing a vulnerable person.
The suspects, residents of Beit Aryeh-Ofarim in the northern West Bank in their 20s and 40s, were brought in and are being investigated.
The police said they will likely ask the court to extend their arrest pending completion of the sensitive investigation.