Kindergarten Aides Face Sentencing for Abuse of Toddlers

A Kfar Saba Magistrate's Court is set to deliver a sentence on Sunday for a kindergarten aide convicted of over 270 counts of violence against toddlers at the "Gan Sigal" kindergarten in Hod Hasharon. The case shocked the public following graphic footage of the abuse against children aged one to two years old, who were under the care of the kindergarten staff. The indictment named Esther Adib, 74, mother of the kindergarten owner Sigal Issus, and Sarah Halili, 57, her sister. According to the indictment, the two cared for a group of 15 toddlers, and between May and July 2023, a series of severe violent incidents occurred at the kindergarten. These included throwing toddlers to the floor, slamming them onto mattresses, and forcefully shoving food into their mouths. Adib was charged with three counts of aggravated assault of a minor, and Halili with eight similar counts. During one hearing, a father described the horrific scenes his son endured, stating, "I saw how they put my two-year-old son in a dark room as punishment. I saw how they swung my son and slammed him onto a chair. The children lived in hell." Another mother shared the lasting impact on her son, who is now four and a half, saying, "To this day, he doesn't trust adults." Parents criticized the indictment, arguing it did not fully reflect the severity of the acts, and demanded a significant and deterrent sentence from the court to prevent future occurrences.