Horrifying: Sentencing for caregivers who abused toddlers "They didn't express remorse"

Child abuse in the settlement of Tzurit. The Haifa Magistrate's Court today accepted the prosecution's position and sentenced Eden Suad to 4 years in prison, Shikha Suad to 30 months in prison, and Subhiya Suad to 15 months in prison. They worked as caregivers and assistants in a daycare in the settlement of Tzurit and were convicted of aggravated assault against the toddlers in the kindergarten. The court also ordered them to pay 120,000 shekels in compensation to the families of the toddlers.

As mentioned, the three defendants served as caregivers and assistants at "Tzurit Home," which was under the supervision of the Ministry of Education, where toddlers aged from a few months to 3 years were cared for. The defendants were convicted of attacking the toddlers in their care on multiple occasions during July 2022, among other things, by holding them tightly, pulling them by their hands while lifting them into the air, and throwing them forcefully onto mattresses. Defendant Eden Suad was additionally convicted of the offense of assaulting a minor causing actual bodily harm.

During the sentencing arguments, Attorney Amir Alron from the Haifa District Prosecutor's Office said, "Violence against toddlers is not a divine decree, nor is it an incurable disease; it is a phenomenon created by humans... We must fight this violent phenomenon to prevent the violent tide, and indeed the law doubled the sentence, from two years in prison to four years." He further argued that throughout the entire proceedings, there was no sign of remorse from the defendants, who focused on themselves and justifying their actions.

Judge Dr. Zaid Flah wrote in the sentencing, "The defendants, in their actions, not only committed criminal offenses when they attacked the toddlers they were responsible for in the daycare, but these acts have long-term implications for all parties involved – the affected children, their families, the entire education system, and even society as a whole. The harm could be multidimensional, combining physical, psychological, moral, and social damages."

The judge further wrote in the sentencing: "Beyond the punishment I will impose on the defendants, within the framework of the criminal proceedings against them, I expect that educational authorities will permanently remove them from any educational framework, so that they do not repeat their actions, and in order to deter them and deter others like them, so that they do not behave violently towards any other entity, certainly not towards toddlers, whose only desire and that of their families was to provide them with an appropriate and suitable educational framework, and instead – they received a violent and aggressive environment."

The prosecution sees the sentence as a reflection of the importance of protecting the well-being of toddlers and the need to ensure that educational frameworks are a safe space for every child. The sentence reflects the determined policy of the State Attorney, who leads a tough hand and law enforcement in the protection of minors, particularly the helpless, with the aim of preventing such severe harm in the future. This is echoed in the recent directive issued by the State Attorney, which emphasizes the need to impose severe penalties, especially in cases of serious harm to children, particularly when they are helpless and unable to defend themselves.