MK Keti Katrin Shitrit Demands Tougher Enforcement Against Abuse in Early Childhood Centers

MK Keti Katrin Shitrit, chair of the Special Committee on Children's Rights, called for expanded enforcement, improved evidence collection, and harsher treatment of abuse cases involving toddlers in early childhood settings. During a committee hearing, Shitrit revealed that from 2018 to 2024, 1,044 investigations were opened concerning violence against children in such frameworks, affecting 1,861 children. However, only 221 indictments were filed. She criticized the police for failing to provide data for 2025 and for closing cases prematurely or losing evidence.

Police representative Superintendent Anat Yakir reported that 202 cases were opened in 2023, 146 in 2024, 160 in 2025, and 60 in the first half of the current year, noting a downward trend. She added that once approvals are obtained, audio recordings could be used as evidence. The discussion also addressed the implementation of camera laws; in 2025, 973 requests to activate cameras in daycare centers and kindergartens were submitted, but only 16% led to police complaints. Education Ministry officials emphasized the importance of staff training and supervision.

Legal representatives stated that audio recordings are not categorically excluded and are used in some cases. MK Aida Touma-Sliman urged extending oversight to unregulated frameworks and stressed the need for proper staff screening and training. Parents of abused children shared testimonies about the trauma endured, including one mother who described her daughter waking up screaming and the lack of adequate response from educators.

Shitrit demanded updated data from the police, immediate collection of documentation in suspected cases of investigation obstruction, and revisions to operational procedures. She called for stricter enforcement against non-compliant institutions and broader use of recordings documenting psychological abuse. Shitrit warned, "I have zero tolerance for the negligence of oversight bodies. Babies cannot complain or tell what they endured. I will not relent on this issue. If the police do not stop the abusers, I will expose their names from the Knesset podium before the entire State of Israel."