The father of the manager of the ‘tSloeberhuisje nursery, in the Ghent municipality of Mariakerke, was placed under an arrest warrant by an investigating judge for assault and battery causing death without intention to give it, said Saturday morning the East Flanders public prosecutor’s office. The manager was released on conditions.
A six-month-old girl who was seriously injured on Wednesday while she was in this nursery had to be hospitalized. She eventually succumbed to her injuries. On Thursday morning, the University Hospital of Ghent (UZ Gent) had informed the local public prosecutor’s office that a baby had suffered a serious brain injury in unclear circumstances. The emergency medical service had transported the girl to the emergency department the day before, after a call from the nursery in Mariakerke. The child was in acute mortal danger and the prosecution finally communicated his death on Friday. The East Flanders prosecutor’s office had appointed a forensic doctor on Thursday and the investigating judge had the crèche sealed off. An in-depth investigation took place there and three of its managers were arrested: the manager, her father and an employee. They spent the night in detention before appearing before the investigating judge on Friday. The latter decided to place the father under arrest warrant for assault and battery resulting in death without intention to give it, and to charge the manager with manslaughter. However, she was released on conditions. As for the collaborator of the crèche, she was released. According to the investigation, the child would have died after being shaken. The police suspect the father of the nursery manager. An autopsy of the little victim should still help shed light on the causes of death.
Since 2015, several inspection reports have noted complaints from parents against the father, who worked as a supervisor at the crèche. They denounced physical violence against children, but the manager has always rejected these accusations. In a September 2019 report, it is stated that the manager says “with certainty that her father does not abuse the children. She is also present at the daycare for most of the day. It is only in the morning that it happens that the father is alone with the children for about an hour, but if something had happened, she would have noticed it when he arrived”. In addition, parents who bring their children at this time would also have noticed it, argued the head of the crèche in this report. According to the manager, the children even called her father “grandpa” during the last inspection. The latter should come back when her father is there to see how he takes care of the children, pointed out the manager.
The Flemish childcare agency Kind en Gezin said the crèche had been under inspection since 2015, with the establishment having undergone 10 checks. The manager nevertheless denied any problem, pointing the finger at the parents. It was only in 2016 that Kind en Gezin imposed a temporary suspension of reception at the daycare, due to missing proof that the electricity was up to standard.