Police release shocking video showing daycare worker abusing kids

Caretaker seen in security footage was arrested last month; one tearful parent says she hopes the suspect gets the death penalty

By ToI Staff 5 July 2019, 12:34 am Edit
Israelis demonstrate against the lack of supervision in daycares outside the Tel Aviv Government complex on June 21 2018. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)
Illustrative - Israelis demonstrate against the lack of supervision in daycares outside the Tel Aviv Government complex on June 21 2018. (Miriam Alster/Flash90)

Police on Thursday released graphic security camera footage showing the manager of a home daycare center in the central city of Rosh Ha’ayin brutally abusing small children as other employees watched.

The videos show the head of the private Baby Love daycare center, Carmel Mouda, 25, tying up children, force-feeding them, smothering toddlers who refuse to fall asleep with blankets and physically abusing them.

Mouda was arrested three weeks ago. The children in her care were aged three months to three years.

“I’m in shock,” a parent told Channel 13 news. “My son is in almost every video tied to a chair or [tied up] on the floor, and this isn’t even everything. The police showed me even worse videos.”

Sgt. Fraidi Kamenetsky said police plan to file charges against Mouda with a request she be held in custody until the end of the proceedings. During the interrogation an unnamed assistant was also arrested on suspicion that she witnessed the abuse and may have also resorted to violence. She has since been released to house arrest, Channel 13 reported.

WARNING: Video contains graphic content

A parent who sent her child to the center told the interviewer that she hopes the daycare manager is sentenced to death. “I can dream,” she said, holding back tears.

Some parents tried to view the videos but had to stop part of the way through because they were too difficult to watch, Ynet news reported.

Protests are planned for Sunday at six locations around the country including the Prime Minister’s Residence in Jerusalem. Parents are demanding changes to childcare oversight laws including tougher sentences for abusive daycare workers and better regulations for supervision of daycare centers.

Ahaz Agam, chairman of the National Parks Parents’ Committee and one of the protest organizers, told Channel 13 that parents feel the government is wasting time while more cases of abuse by child care workers come to light.

“We cannot afford to sit idly by and do nothing,” Agam said. “Every passing day in which we do not advance the safety of children adds more victims.”

In recent years numerous cases of abuse have been reported including the killing of an 18-month old baby girl by a caretaker.

In June of 2018 the government came under fire for the continued delay of a proposed supervision law as ministries squabbled over funding the project. The law was finally passed in December, but only mandates security cameras in all daycare centers starting in September 2020, and only so long as 70 percent of the parents do not object.

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