BEIJING: A Chinese kindergarten teacher was on Friday jailed for 18 months for abusing children with needles, a Beijing court said, sparking criticism online that the sentence was too short.
Liu Yanan, who was a teacher at the RYB Education New World kindergarten, pricked four children with needles in November 2017, the Beijing Chaoyang Court said. The scandal triggered national outrage.
An investigation into the kindergarten began when parents found needle marks on their toddlers who attended the high-end, bilingual Chinese-English school. There were also allegations that the children were made to take mysterious pills.
“The circumstances were vile. Her behavior has seriously damaged the physical and mental health of minors,” the court said in a statement, adding that the abuse did not result in any lasting injury.
Liu has also been banned from working with minors for five years after serving her sentence.
RYB Education, a New York-listed company which runs the chain of kindergartens, apologized for the incident and stressed on their official social media account the abuse was carried out by an individual.
However there was huge criticism of the sentence online, with many social media users angered that no officials have been punished.
Three Beijing education officials were under investigation for “lack of supervision” but the case has not progressed.
“The cost to commit a crime is too low! This is condoning crimes!” read one post on Weibo, China’s Twitter-like platform, saying that Liu should have been given a lifetime ban from working in education.
The incident prompted the State Council, China’s top administrative body, to call for an “immediate” investigation into all kindergartens across the country.
RYB Education owns some 500 kindergartens and nearly 1,300 learning centers across China for children up to the age of six, according to its website.
The scandal was not the first to hit the company.
RYB suspended the head of a Beijing kindergarten in April 2017 after videos surfaced of teachers throwing a child on a bed and kicking another in the back.
In 2016, two teachers from a RYB kindergarten in northeast Jilin province were jailed for 34 months for jabbing children’s heads, mouths and buttocks with sewing needles.
China daycare teacher jailed over ‘needle’ scandal
China daycare teacher jailed over ‘needle’ scandal
- “The circumstances were vile. Her behavior has seriously damaged the physical and mental health of minors,” the court said
- There were also allegations that the children were made to take mysterious pills
Elysee Palace silver steward arrested for stealing thousands of euros’ worth of silverware
- The Sevres Manufactory — which supplied most of the furnishings — identified several of the missing items on online auction websites
- Investigators later found around 100 objects in the silver steward’s personal locker, his vehicle and their home
PARIS: Three men will stand trial next year after a silver steward employed at the official residence of the French president was arrested this week for the theft of items of silverware and table service worth thousands of euros, the Paris prosecutor’s office said.
The Elysee Palace’s head steward reported the disappearance, with the estimated loss ranging between 15,000 and 40,000 euros (($17,500-$47,000).
The Sevres Manufactory — which supplied most of the furnishings — identified several of the missing items on online auction websites. Questioning of Elysee staff led investigators to suspect one of the silver stewards, whose inventory records gave the impression he was planning future thefts.
Investigators established that the man was in a relationship with the manager of a company specializing in the online sale of objects, notably tableware. Investigators discovered on his Vinted account a plate stamped “French Air Force” and “Sevres Manufactory” ashtrays that are not available to the general public.
Around 100 objects were found in the silver steward’s personal locker, his vehicle and their home. Among the items recovered were copper saucepans, Sevres porcelain, a René Lalique statuette and Baccarat champagne coupes.
The two were arrested Tuesday. Investigators also identified a single receiver of the stolen goods. The recovered items were returned to the Elysee Palace.
The three suspects appeared in court Thursday on charges of jointly stealing movable property listed as part of the national heritage — an offense punishable by up to 10 years in prison and a 150,000-euro fine, as well as aggravated handling of stolen goods.
The trial was postponed to Feb. 26. The defendants were placed under judicial supervision, banned from contacting one another, prohibited from appearing at auction venues and barred from their professional activities.
