Israeli Lawmaker Threatens to Reveal Names of Childcare Abusers Amid Oversight Crisis
Following the State Comptroller's report exposing failures in supervising early childhood care centers, the Knesset's Special Committee on Children's Rights held a heated discussion on Wednesday about handling alleged abuse cases in these facilities. Committee chairwoman Keti Shitrit sharply criticized law enforcement agencies for their inadequate response and warned that if the police do not act to stop abusers, she will publicly disclose their names in the Knesset plenum.
Data presented during the session revealed that from 2018 to 2024, 1,044 investigations into violence against children in early childhood settings were opened, involving 1,861 victims. However, only 221 indictments were filed, representing about one-fifth of all cases. Police statistics showed that in 2023, 202 cases were opened; in 2024, 146 cases; and in 2025, 160 cases, with 60 additional cases initiated in the first half of the current year. Of these, 25 involved infants under two years old and 38 involved children aged three to five.
The Ministry of Education reported that in 2025, 973 requests were made to view surveillance footage from daycare centers and kindergartens, but only 16% of these led to police complaints. They explained that upon receiving a complaint, inspectors review footage within one to two days, but once a police complaint is filed, inspectors are prohibited from further viewing the recordings. The ministry emphasized the need for better training, professional support, and guidance for childcare staff alongside enforcement.
A mother of twins shared her personal ordeal, describing how her daughter woke up screaming at night and was later found to have been abused, forcing her and other parents to quit their jobs to care for their children. The committee demanded that the Israeli police provide comprehensive data on case volumes and the timing of evidence seizure. It also called for updated protocols to ensure immediate confiscation of surveillance footage in suspected obstruction cases, heavy fines for facilities lacking required recordings, suspension of centers with non-functioning cameras, and mandatory secure backup of footage.
