Australian childcare worker charged after four-year-old sustained head laceration in Kelso
Police allege the 24-year-old forced the child onto a bed, causing a 2cm laceration; she was arrested after a month-long probe and charged with reckless wounding.
A 24-year-old childcare worker has been charged with assault after a four-year-old boy suffered a laceration to his head at a daycare centre in Kelso in central-west New South Wales, police said.
New South Wales Police launched an investigation on August 8 following reports that the child had been assaulted by a staff member. Officers allege the woman forced the boy onto a bed the previous day, and his head struck the edge of the bed, leaving a two-centimetre laceration. Medical attention was sought for the child immediately after the incident.
After a month-long investigation, police arrested the woman at a home in Kelso on Tuesday afternoon. She was taken to Bathurst Police Station and charged with reckless wounding. The accused was granted bail and is due to appear before Bathurst Local Court on October 29.
Police did not disclose the name of the childcare centre or provide further identifying details about the staff member or the child because the matter involves a minor. The charge of reckless wounding alleges conduct that caused bodily harm and will be dealt with in the local court process.
The case remains before the courts, and police said inquiries are ongoing. Any further action or additional charges would be a matter for the director of public prosecutions and the court to determine as the matter progresses.