A teacher at a private kindergarten in Astana has been accused of beating a 4-year-old girl. Police have opened a criminal case. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing the publication "Seventh Channel."
The mother of the girl, Yerkenaz Koshkinbai, stated that her daughter came home from kindergarten with a swollen face and bruises. Doctors recorded injuries on the child.
The woman said that the girl was born prematurely, weighing about 500 grams. Over four years, she underwent several serious operations on her heart and eyes. The child attended the private kindergarten together with her older sister.
"The teacher hid this, said that she had such a character, that she was lively, that she only scolded her. But it turned out she beat her," the girl's mother stated.
The parents were told about the incident by the five-year-old sister of the victim. According to the mother, after the incident both girls began to sleep poorly and refuse to return to kindergarten. The woman had to quit her job to take care of the children herself.
TV channel journalists reported that the institution operates in a private cottage building. Two groups, containing about 30 children, were combined, and one teacher looks after them. The employee, whom the family accused of using force, refused to appear on camera.
Relatives claim that during a medical examination, other injuries were also found on the child. In addition, after the incident, the girl developed problems with involuntary urination. The family intends to consult a psychologist and seek to bring the teacher to criminal responsibility.
The Astana Police Department confirmed the start of the investigation.
"A criminal case has been opened on the fact of failure to fulfill duties of raising a minor, including cruel treatment of him," said Aruzhan Bektasova, senior inspector of the press service of the Astana Police Department.
Currently, investigators are establishing all the circumstances of the incident. A procedural decision will be made following the investigation.
The parents also complained about the shortage of places in state kindergartens, which forces them to turn to private institutions. According to the "Seventh Channel," the cost of their services in the capital starts from 100 thousand tenge per month.
Starting next year, all preschool organizations in Kazakhstan must switch to mandatory licensing. Requirements are planned to be tightened for premises, teaching staff, educational programs, infrastructure, and material and technical equipment of kindergartens.