Indian-Origin Rajani Gautam, who worked at Civic Early Childhood Centre in Canberra was convicted on three charges of using inappropriate discipline by the ACT Magistrates Court on Wednesday.
The court heard on Wednesday that Gautam firmly grabbed children by the wrists at a Canberra day care centre to discipline them.
The charges related to three separate incidents where Gautam firmly grabbed the wrists of three children on separate occasions dating back to 2014.
In the first incident, Gautam aggressively ‘jerked’ an infant by the wrists after she had ‘mishandled’ the child while trying to lift her. The infant’s mother had watched this through the window.
After comforting her "crying and screaming" child the mother confronted Gautum who seemed "flustered and panicky" when she realised she'd been seen, the prosecution told the court.
Gautum told the mother the girl "wasn't listening".
In the second incident, the same witness saw Gautum grab an older girl at the centre by the wrist. Gautum told the woman the girl had bitten her and "won't come to the toilet".
On the third occasion, another staff member saw Gautam grab a boy by the wrist as he kicked out at her.
Gautum was stood down from the centre after the third incident and the matters were referred to police, the court heard.
Gautam pleaded guilty to three charges of subjecting a child to discipline that was unreasonable and has been given three good behaviour bonds.
Magistrate Glenn Thickston said he did not believe a conviction was necessary because Gautam entered an early guilty plea and showed remorse.
He also noted the financial hardship Gautam had endured since she lost her job at the centre.
