The Flemish child service, Kind en Gezin, a Flemish member of the Office for Birth and Childhood (ONE), suspended the approval of a 22-year-old nurse suspected of child abuse at the Antwerp nursery, it announced on Thursday after an additional inspection of the facility on Wednesday. Several past irregularities have resurfaced there, which, combined with the crisis situation following the ongoing judicial inquiry, led to the suspension.
The parents of a six-month-old girl had alerted the headmistress of the crèche after seeing bruising on the girl's legs and jaw. The principal was then able to observe the abuse of the child on the surveillance cameras.
The facility, which has a site in Antwerp and another in Schoten, has until June 30 to develop a plan to improve personnel management and develop safety and quality procedures. If this is not done in time or the plan receives a negative evaluation, Kind en Gezin may suspend the approval of the nursery permanently.
A solution is sought for children who cannot currently be accommodated there.
The Brussels Times
