developing· Security· Updated
Daycare Aide Sentenced to 10 Years for Abusing Eight Toddlers
On Sunday, October 11, 2026, the Central District Court in Lod sentenced Rowan Abd al-Hay, a 32-year-old former daycare assistant from Tayibe, to 10 years in prison for abusing eight toddlers. The court also ordered her to pay 450,000 shekels in compensation to the victims' families.
20 newsrooms · 4 languages · since
What happened
- 01The Central District Court in Lod sentenced former daycare assistant Rowan Abd al-Hay to 10 years in prison.
- 02Abd al-Hay was convicted of 277 violent offenses against eight toddlers aged eight months to 1.5 years.
- 03The abuse occurred between May and July 2023 at Sigal's Kindergarten in Hod Hasharon.
- 04The court ordered Abd al-Hay to pay 450,000 shekels in compensation to the victims' families.
- 05The conviction included charges of child abuse of a helpless minor and aggravated assault.
- 06Judge Michal Barak-Nevo reassured the parents that they could not have known about the abuse.
- 07Parents testified that their children continue to suffer from severe trauma, anxiety, and nightmares.
- 08The investigation began after a parent recorded audio of the abuse, which was supported by surveillance footage.
Abd al-Hay was convicted of 277 violent offenses committed between May and July 2023 at the Sigal's Kindergarten in Hod Hasharon. The victims were infants aged between eight months and 1.5 years. The charges included child abuse of a helpless minor, assault causing bodily harm, and aggravated assault.
The abuse, captured on surveillance footage and an audio recording, involved hitting, kicking, shaking, pinching, throwing toddlers onto mattresses, and forcing them to eat food from the floor. Parents testified to the severe, lasting psychological trauma, nightmares, and anxiety their children continue to experience.
During the sentencing, Judge Michal Barak-Nevo reassured the parents that they were not to blame for the abuse, stating they could not have known. Abd al-Hay apologized in court, while her defense attorney requested leniency, citing her youth and clean record.
Summarized by baba from the reports of 14 newsrooms. Updated
Latest report: The Jerusalem Post. Read The Jerusalem Post’s original
The coverage
20 newsrooms on this story
Who covered it
- Left1
- Centre7+2
- Right4
- Haredi2
- Arab4
- Other2
