Woman Arrested in Haifa After Filmed Dragging Child on Leash

A Haifa resident was arrested Monday evening on suspicion of child abuse after being filmed dragging a child on a leash through the city's streets. A video circulating online shows the child walking on all fours, led by the suspect. Police intend to request an extension of the woman's detention and she will appear in court Tuesday.

Separately, an indictment was filed Tuesday against three caregivers from the "Luchik" daycare in Ariel, for over 400 counts of abuse against 17 toddlers. The accused are the 37-year-old daycare director Natalia Kasilvsky and two caregivers, 37-year-old Darina Khalufa and 40-year-old Anna Pegelski. Prosecutors are seeking their remand until the end of legal proceedings.

According to the indictment, the caregivers employed cruel "punishment methods," including a "choking method" that involved grabbing toddlers' heads and forcibly blocking their airways with hands, paper, or cloth, while holding their necks to prevent movement. The indictment states the accused would shake toddlers, bend their heads and bodies forward, and forcefully press them against mattresses for extended periods. In some instances, they repeatedly blocked airways even after toddlers choked, turned red, and struggled for breath, leading to confusion and loss of balance.

The three also allegedly used a "tying method" and forced feeding. This involved aggressively wrapping toddlers' bodies in cloth and blankets with their arms held tight to their bodies, binding them so they could not move, and placing them on their stomachs. In some cases, caregivers Anna and Darina allegedly force-fed toddlers while they were bound, tilting their heads back, applying physical pressure to open their jaws, and forcefully shoving pureed food into their mouths quickly, while aggressively and painfully wiping their faces with paper.