11 February 2008, 17:18
Kindergarten teacher trialled for child abuse in Stavropol
This week, proceeding will go on in Stavropol on the case of Lilia Leonova, a teacher of Kindergarten No. 78 "Alye Parusa", accused of sticking the mouth of one of fooling girls with adhesive tape, the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent was told at the court.
The incident took place on April 2 last year. The investigation has established that teacher Lilia Leonova stuck the mouth of a girl born in 2001 with adhesive tape as a punishment for bad behaviour. Besides, it has been established that the teacher of the kindergarten "for a long time failed to properly perform her duties of bringing up children in this educational establishment," the Territorial Prosecutor's Office reported earlier.
The defendant denies her guilt.
"It all happened incidentally. I held the adhesive tape in my hands and did not stick but just casually touched the lips of the girl with it," the teacher told TV reporters.
According to the Stavropol State TV and Radio Company (SSTRC), not all the pupils of the group confirm the teacher's guilt: some of them assert that witnessed the incident, others reject it.
Meanwhile, according to the SSTRC, the girl's groupmates say that the teacher had repeatedly promised to stick their mouths with adhesive tape or drip glue into their eyes.
A criminal case was initiated against L. Leonova under Article 156 of the RF Criminal Code ("Inadequate performance of duties to bring up a minor by a worker of educational establishment accompanied by child abuse").
The prosecution is supported by the Prosecutor's Office of the Promyshlenny District of Stavropol. According to the Office, the above Article assumes punishment in the form of a fine up to 40 thousand roubles or corrective works for the term of up to 1 year.
According to available data, the Prosecutor's Office had learnt about the incident from mass media.
Author: Elena Kostenko, CK correspondent
