Kindergarten Assistant Sentenced to 10 Years for Abusing Toddlers

A district court in Lod has sentenced a kindergarten assistant to 10 years in prison for abusing and assaulting eight toddlers under the age of one. Roan Abd al-Hai, from Tayibe, who worked at the "Gan shel Sigal" daycare in Hod Hasharon, was convicted of over 270 counts of abuse and assault.

During the trial, it was revealed that Abd al-Hai would hit, shake, pull, pinch, and throw the infants forcefully onto the floor, ignoring their cries. She would often disregard them when they approached her or cried, instead focusing on drawing or her mobile phone for extended periods. In some instances, she fed them food that had fallen on the floor and, on one occasion, forcibly shoved food into a toddler's mouth.

The court also ordered Abd al-Hai to pay NIS 450,000 in compensation to the parents of the abused children. The court found her guilty of severe offenses including abuse of a helpless minor by a caregiver, assault of a helpless person causing actual bodily harm, and assault under aggravating circumstances.

Prosecutor Meital Ilan stated after the sentencing that the court sent a clear message regarding the severity of abusing helpless infants and the duty to protect them. She described the acts as a difficult, systematic, and ongoing series of violence and abuse by an assistant who betrayed the trust of both the children and their parents. While the sentence cannot erase the harm caused, Ilan added, it acknowledges the suffering and allows for a path toward rehabilitation and healing.