Fier: teacher suspected of mistreating 4-year-old at kindergarten, child's mother slaps her; both under investigation

An incident at a state kindergarten in Fier has ended in criminal proceedings against two women: the kindergarten teacher and the mother of a 4-year-old child. The incident was made public on Tuesday by police sources.

According to the information, the 29-year-old mother, identified by the initials E. L., suspected that her son was being mistreated by the teacher. She showed up at the kindergarten, where the child was, and slapped the 44-year-old teacher, identified by the initials E. P.

Child shows no signs of violence

Police say the child shows no signs of violence. After the incident, the teacher filed a criminal complaint against the child's mother for the violence used against her on the kindergarten premises.

Specialists from the Crime Investigation Section of the Fier Local Police Directorate have opened criminal proceedings without detention against both women. The teacher is being investigated on suspicion of mistreating a minor, while the mother is being investigated for violence against the teacher.

Investigation ongoing

The case involves two intertwined allegations: on the one hand, the mother's claim that her child was mistreated at a public institution; on the other, the violence used by the mother herself against an employee on duty. Investigators are expected to take statements from kindergarten staff and other parents, and to check whether there is video footage from the rooms where the child was.

The case files have been referred to prosecutors, who will assess the circumstances of the incident and the claims of both sides. Until a final court ruling, both women are presumed innocent.

Alleged cases of child mistreatment in kindergartens and nurseries have periodically sparked strong public reactions in Albania, reviving the debate over the supervision of preschool institutions and the installation of cameras in the rooms where children stay.