Teacher who taped children to chairs jailed for 15 months

A Madrid nursery teacher who inflicted a range of punishments on her charges, such as tying them to their high chairs and using adhesive tape over their mouths, has been sent to prison for 15 months, but will be allowed to resume her profession after two years.

The court found the 47-year-old teacher, named only as Aránzazu G. A., guilty of systematic mistreatment in April 2008 of children aged between two and three years old at a nursery in the prosperous Madrid dormitory town of Torrelodones. The prosecution had called for a two-year sentence.

The court found the teacher guilty of criminal responsibility for repeated offenses involving physical and psychological damage, as well as abusing her authority. In doing so, the court accepted that the teacher subjected children in her care to sustained mistreatment.

It also heard that Aránzazu tied a three-year-old girl to a seat and slapped her, taping her mouth over to prevent her from screaming. She also regularly insulted children, telling them that they were, “as dumb as your father,” or that their behavior came as no surprise to her, “because your father is so posh.”

Another child, aged two, was made to sit with his mouth taped over in front of a glass of juice for having misbehaved. The child told his parents that the teacher had slapped him on the knees and ankles. Another child of the same age told his parents that the woman had tied up other children with adhesive tape and beat them.

Deprived of food

As a result of the mistreatment, one girl asked her parents to tie her to her high chair in order to eat, while another taped her own mouth shut and also tried to cover her arms with rolls of cling film.

A cook working at the school said she had seen the teacher insult a child, saying, “you are as stupid as your mother,” as well as punishing her by not allowing her to eat.

She also witnessed the teacher sitting on a child, and then grabbing him and throwing him to the floor, where she then sat on him again. The following day, the child had been tied to a chair with adhesive tape.

A teacher at the school said she overheard Aránzazu insult children, and saw her tie others up with adhesive tape.