Kindergarten Teacher Sentenced to Community Service for Biting Child
Translated & summarized from Kikar HaShabbat by baba
A substitute kindergarten teacher in Hadera was sentenced to two months of community service for biting a child in her care. The incident occurred in December 2023 when the child refused to obey instructions. The prosecution sought a prison sentence, but the court considered the teacher's subsequent rehabilitation and remorse. The sentence also includes suspended prison terms, a probation order, and compensation to the child.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- A substitute kindergarten teacher in Hadera received a two-month community service sentence for biting a child.
- The incident occurred in December 2023 after the child refused to follow the teacher's instructions.
- The teacher bit the child's arm, causing visible injury and requiring hospitalization.
- The prosecution requested 10-18 months imprisonment, while the defense sought a rehabilitative sentence.
- The court cited the teacher's significant rehabilitation efforts and remorse in its sentencing decision.
- The sentence also includes suspended prison terms, a probation order, and 5,000 shekels in compensation.
A substitute kindergarten teacher in Hadera has been convicted of assaulting a child by biting his arm in December 2023. The incident occurred after the young boy, born in 2018, refused to follow instructions and was placed in a side room. When the child reached for the teacher's mouth, she bit his right arm, causing a bite mark, a minor abrasion, and subcutaneous bleeding. The child was taken to the hospital, and his father was informed immediately.
The prosecution sought a sentence of 10 to 18 months imprisonment, emphasizing the severity of the offense given the teacher's responsibility for the child's safety. However, the defense argued for a rehabilitative sentence, citing the incident as a spontaneous act and highlighting the teacher's lack of experience with children exhibiting behavioral difficulties. The teacher had only been at the kindergarten for about a month prior to the event and had not sought additional support.
Following the incident, the teacher left the education field, underwent specialized treatment, and engaged in a rehabilitation process. Probation services noted her acceptance of responsibility, remorse, and empathy, assessing a reduced risk of reoffending. The teacher herself expressed deep regret for her actions.
Despite the prosecution's request, the Hadera Magistrate's Court, presided over by Deputy President Lizi Freund, sentenced the teacher to two months of community service. The judge acknowledged the teacher's rehabilitation efforts, stating that a "real change" was occurring in her life. However, she also stressed that the teacher's feelings of being overwhelmed did not justify violence against a child. The court determined that while a sentence of four months community service to one year imprisonment was appropriate, the teacher's significant rehabilitation justified a lighter sentence. The sentence also included six months suspended imprisonment, three months suspended imprisonment, a one-year probation order, and 5,000 shekels in compensation to the child.
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