Darwin's Educational Playground Aftercare: Photo: Facebook
Police are investigating two Pretoria teachers who were seemingly caught on camera beating children at Darwin’s Educational Playground Aftercare crèche in Pretoria.
Camera footage show the teachers, a mother and her daughter, manhandling and beating toddlers at the crèche in Pretoria Gardens.
According to a report in local community paper Pretoria Rekord, the crèche is owned by two sisters, Lizelle Guida Zimmermann and Lucinda Correia, who also teach at the school.
Their mother, Anna Peyper Correia, is also involved as a teacher.
In one video, a woman is seen spanking a child in the toilet while another video shows a woman using force to get a blonde little girl to sit in a certain position on the floor.
A third video shows another woman who spanking a boy in front of his classmates.
The videos were apparently captured by another teacher, Tiffany Mostert, who was appalled at what was happening at the crèche.
Mostert, who resigned earlier this year, said she had tried to warn parents that their children were being beaten at the school.
The parents of two of the affected children have removed them from the school and have opened child abuse cases at the Hercules police station.
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Police spokesperson Captain Augustinah Selepe confirmed that two cases of assault have been opened and are being investigated.
She said one of these was withdrawn, while the other matter would be brought to the Senior Public Prosecution (SPP) for a decision.
A lawyer for the school, Jaco Koster, said the crèche does not condone or allow the use of corporal punishment.
“We endeavour to treat every child in our school as our own, and we are investigating the allegations,” said Koster.
Koster said while they could not confirm that the videos were taken at Darwin’s, he said that an internal investigation was underway.
“None of the videos clearly show the premises and/or personnel allegedly involved,” said Koster.