In the city of Tournai, Wallonia, two kindergarten teachers are accused of binding a four-year-old girl’s hands together with tape as a form of punishment, leaving the child bound in a chair in a school hallway, Belgian media RTL Info reports.
The incident, which took place 13 June at the Saint-Michel free school, occurred after the young girl allegedly hit another student. The young girl’s mother was reportedly shocked by the inappropriate severity of the punishment, which she described as humiliating for the four-year-old.
“I am revolted and in shock. No child, even if they are acting up, deserves so much violence,” the mother told RTL Info. The mother has officially launched a complaint against the two teachers in question and removed her child from the school.
According to the French-speaking newspaper Sudpresse, the director of the kindergarten has confirmed the events of 13 June and stated that disciplinary action had been initiated against the two teachers, who were described as being “burned-out.” A meeting was organised with the girl’s mother and social workers on 17 June.
The director of the kindergarten has denounced the outpouring of hate that the school had received online over the weekend. He states that members of the public had made threats against members of the school and harassed teachers. The two teachers under investigation will be suspended at least until the end of the year.
