Judgments next year

“Black pedagogy”: torture in nursery?

Trial for please, thank you and vegetables: two Carinthian toddler teachers are accused of torturing and humiliating their charges - for example by forcing them to eat healthy food!

Two Carinthian early childhood educators are on trial before Judge Sabine Götz for torturing their charges. The former head and her deputy at a facility near Klagenfurt are alleged to have forced the one to three-year-olds to eat, pulled their hair or failed to put them on the potty on time. There was also humiliation: "You're disgusting", they are said to have said when a little girl wet herself.

Teachers deny everything
"It's all untrue", the teachers insist. And one of them smiles when she talks about "her" children: "There are no problematic children, just challenges!" These included the fact that some of the little ones had never eaten vegetables before. "I said we'd try it and not spit everything out straight away! I also believe that children should learn to say please and thank you - and to say hello. But these values are obviously no longer up to date."

Witnesses report that they have never seen any mistreatment - but that things were strict in the gnome group: "One girl choked, vomited her soup and was given a new plate," sobs a colleague. She explains her outburst of tears by saying that this kind of treatment of children really affects her.

Judgments not until next year
It is also emotional outside the courtroom, where parents are exchanging views: "It went on like this for a long time; such nasty women," grumbles a man, while a mother wanted to "see" whether it was "her" kindergarten. "Fortunately not." Another doesn't think the accusations are "black pedagogy: I'm sure they meant well." The verdicts will not be handed down until 2025.